Safe from Harm
by MizuneMinamiki
Summary: Prequel to [Why or Why Not?]. When a tortured girl named Miki enters his life, Piko will stop at nothing to try to make her happy. But that's easier said than done. No matter how much he supports her when she needs it, or kisses the tears away, sometimes the pain can be too great... (PikoxMiki; Rated T for the lime and kissing.)
1. Chapter 1

_**Whoop! I'm back! With more PikoxMiki! This is kind of like a partner fic to [Why or Why Not?]. It shall be 5 Chapters (already all planned out in my head!), and it's basically their relationship **_**before **_**[Why or Why Not?]. Soooo, without further ado, enjoy [Safe from Harm]! **_

_**My disclaimers are in my profile. ;D**_

Snowy white bangs falling over his one grassy-green eye, Piko shuffled out of the classroom to head for his next class. And it just so happened to be the one class that he couldn't stand: Math. Well, sure, he understood the work he was given. But he didn't like wasting so much time thinking on a problem. Numbers and equations _do_ _not mix_. And it only made things worse that it was the last class of the day.

He didn't bother to hiss in annoyance as the other students pushed past him like he wasn't there; he was used to it, after all. But it wasn't necessarily that they were _trying _to bother or bully him; it was just that he was so darn short and petite like a little schoolgirl. And thick eyelashes, eyes of a striking color, flawless skin, and hair silkier than the school's very own diva Kagamine Rin could ever hope to get didn't really help him in the eyes of the other students. Though no one said it to his face, he knew they called him '_shota_.' Yet Piko had somehow managed to hold a reputation there in the school.

How?

Well, he just so happened to be a pretty dang good soccer player. Sure, soccer was kind of a girl's sport, but the boys had a soccer team, too!

In short, Utatane Piko was respected.

After muttering a 'goodbye' to his pal Len, the white-haired kid gave a forced wave and a smile as his best friend turned to go the opposite way, to the music class Piko would much rather be headed to.

As he made his way down the hall, switching the strap of his backpack from his left shoulder to the right, Piko could hear some kind of shouting. He ignored it, though. People fought all the time. It was usually Rin starting up some kind of drama with a girl who she saw as a threat, anyway. He found it strange how girl fights were a weekly thing, yet fights between the boys – which should be more common than anything, since they were generally so immature – was a rarity.

Piko's eyes widened a little when he saw the crowd of students leaping to the side out of the way, almost like some kind of a wave effect. Coming from farther down the hall was a distressed cry, strangled from the tears the girl choked out as she ran as fast as she could right towards Piko himself. Shoes squealed on the linoleum floor, followed by the clacking of heels that came from the girls who chased after her, shouting out profanities and violent threats. He had no chance to move before the fleeing red-haired girl collided with him.

The impact sent him flying to the ground…_hard._ It drove the breath from his body and left him shaking in utter shock. The girl, lying awkwardly on top of him, started squirming to pick herself up and get away, spitting out apologies with an angel voice that shook from fear.

"I-I-I didn't m-mean to g-get i-in your w-way –"

"Oi, Utatane!" Rin called out, her clacking heels echoing in the rapidly emptying halls as she made her way over to him. The red-haired girl was sitting on her knees in front of him now – gathering up a few of the books that had spilled from her unzipped backpack. "Sorry that she so rudely got in your way," she sneered, lifting her foot in a fierce kick in the vulnerable red-head girl's side that sent her tumbling over. Rin held out her tiny hand in an offer to help him up.

Piko tried not to noticeably flinch at the grunt of the bullied girl when she hit the ground again, and he looked up at Rin with a gentle smile. "No thanks, Kagamine. I've got it."

The prissy blonde girl snorted and flipped back her short golden locks. "Whatever." She dealt another strike at the bruised and battered girl and spat out, "Be careful next time. Utatane wouldn't want useless scum like you breathing the same air as him." Then, with one last glance over at Piko, Rin padded towards her green-haired friend and vanished into a nearby classroom.

Blinking, Piko looked over at the girl a few feet away, hunched over her books while her shoulders shook from heart-wrenching sobs. He was pretty surprised that none of the teachers had come to see what all of the commotion had been about, but even more so that no student had bothered to stop and check if they were okay. By then, the halls were pretty much empty besides Piko and the girl with long, cherry-red hair. He knew the tardy bell would ring in moments, and as much as he wanted to run off to class to keep his perfect attendance record in-tact, he knew he couldn't just leave her.

Feeling awkward, the white-haired boy inched closer to her and placed a hand on her head. Seeing her flinch at his touch only made him feel for her more. He furrowed his brow as he took a look over her appearance. Her hair reached past her waist, a curly ahoge atop her head, yet it was tangled as though she'd just woken up from a terrible nightmare. Blood stained her shirt, though barely noticeable, as the sticky liquid matched the color of the fabric.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, leaning close so that he could speak into her ear.

She only responded with sobs that got louder with each passing second. "I-I'm so sorry," she stammered at last, voice muffled from where she buried her face in her arms. "I-I didn't mean to get in y-y-y-your way…"

"Don't worry about it," Piko said, letting his fingers sift through her long locks of hair. He blinked down at her. For some reason, he really wanted to look into her eyes. Then, he would be able to see the pain that she was feeling. He repeated his question, this time more firmly. "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine…" The girl blindly reached for one of her books, refusing to lift her head. She wrapped her arm around it just as the bell chimed out loud enough to make the both of them jump in surprise. She turned away from him as she sat up, grabbing her backpack and shoving her things sloppily into it.

"Where are you going?" Piko leaped to his feet as she stood up, slowly and shakily.

The girl wiped away her tears vigorously with the sleeve of her shirt and sniffled a few times. "T-to class," she choked out. "I-I can't let you bother with me. I'm u-u-useless."

Piko reached out to grab her wrist, an action that made her jump and whirl to face him. And he almost smiled at getting to see her auburn eyes. They may have been haunted with the torment, red-rimmed from her crying. Her face may have been red and splotchy and wet from the hot, salty tears. Her bottom lip may have been quivering with weak whimpers. The thick bangs may have been plastered to her face with sweat and a little bit of blood, but…

She was still one of the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen.

Scratch that. She was single-handedly the most _gorgeous_ girl he'd ever had the pleasure to meet.

"W-w-what are you doing?" she asked shakily, half-heartedly trying to free herself from his grip.

Her attempts at escaping only made Piko hold onto her tighter. "You aren't well enough to go to class." He started tugging her back the way he'd come, which she only objected to by dragging her feet.

"B-but I can't skip again, eh!" She gasped as the white-haired boy glanced this way and that before turning the knob to the janitor's closet. "W-wait! Y-you aren't g-gonna…" The girl grunted in protest as he shoved her into the small, dark room, but she didn't scream or cry or beg to be let go. She hit the ground on her knees, something Piko immediately felt bad about, but he pulled the door shut before turning and kneeling down to her level.

"What's your name?" he asked softly. It was true that Piko had no idea how to treat the girl; he wasn't sure if he should talk to her as though she were a five-year-old, if that would make her feel insulted or safer around him. He'd never really dealt with someone in her situation, and he was fairly confident that he had completely screwed his chances of making her feel secure. Especially if he'd just practically thrown her down like he watched Rin do minutes before.

"I'm so sorry; I-I…please, d-don't…" As Piko leaned closer, the red-haired girl inched away from him. He could hear her piteous sobs, a combination of whimpers and choking sounds as she fought not to wail out in pain or fear.

"I promise you that you're safe with me." He dug his hand down into the pocket of his dark jeans to fish out his cellphone, flipping it open so that he could light up the tiny area around them with the dim screen. He held it up to her face, dipping his head slightly so that his dual-colored eyes could meet her traumatized gaze. "I'm Piko. What's your name?"

She lifted her shaking hands to sloppily wipe away her tears before stuttering, "M-Miki…"

"Well, Miki." Piko clicked his phone shut and leaned back, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "It's nice to meet you."

There was an uneasy silence that passed between the two, before Miki replied with a voice a little stronger than it had been minutes before. "Likewise, I guess."

Piko tilted his head to one side in contemplation, even though he couldn't see her clearly now without the light from his phone. "Do you not feel safe around me?"

Miki shuffled in front of him and heaved a sigh. He could tell that when she spoke again, she sounded as though she were just a little bit farther away from him, like she was trying to distance herself a little more. Like she still didn't trust him.

Not that he could blame her for such a thought.

"I-I'm…wondering why you haven't screamed at me yet," she admitted quietly. "Why haven't you hit me for being in the way? Why aren't you pissed at me for looking at you?" Her words dropped to a low whisper, dark and depressed. "Why do you care?"

It took him several long moments to consider her words and think of how to respond. Piko didn't really know why he'd helped her. There was just…something about seeing another human being get beaten so viciously that trigged an emotion within him. No person should have to endure that kind of torture. He didn't think it was right; that it was cowardly and stupid.

He lost what little respect he had for the blonde-haired beauty Kagamine Rin when he saw her beat Miki down.

"I guess I just have a big heart," he told her with a shrug. Piko smiled reassuringly, even though he knew she couldn't see it, and asked, "Are you okay? You looked like you got hit pretty hard back there."

Miki's laugh was pained and forced, her voice cracking with exhaustion. "It's okay. I'm used to it."

Piko raised a brow. "You shouldn't be used to getting tortured," he pointed out softly.

The redhead heaved a deep sigh and shuffled a bit in her spot. "Well, I am. Even by my parents. Well, dad. My mom passed away when I was young."

"I'm…sorry…" he murmured sympathetically, his eyes tearing up merely from the agony that seemed to drip from every word that Miki spoke.

She sniffled a few times. "Don't worry about it." Miki let silence take over as she waited patiently for the white-haired boy to say something. When he showed no signs of doing so, she sighed again and buried her head in her heads, groaning, "I suppose you've heard what you wanted. Do what you want with me. Nothing can be worse than the things I've already been put through."

The boy blinked rapidly, taken aback by her statement. There he was, being as sincere as ever, and the poor girl thought he was lying to her! That he was only trying to get information before taking advantage of her, or maybe hitting her like the others in her life had done. Piko had never felt the urge to comfort someone before like he wanted to do with her in that very moment.

"Miki, I promise you that I'm not like everyone else," he insisted after a few minutes' thought. "I'll be here for you if you need me to be."

She snorted. "Yea right, Piko. That's the story of my life. No one keeps their promises."

He reached for his cellphone again, flipping it open so that the dim screen light could brighten the small, dark room once again. Piko reached forward and took her hand, and her eyes widened as she met his gaze. The smirk on his lips wasn't one of mischief or some kind of lust.

It was a dare. He was practically _begging _her to challenge his words.

"Well, I keep _mine_."

_**Dooone~! It actually turned out nothing like I originally planned, but eh well. I still have 4 more juicy chapters of their life to write out. Reviews are greatly appreciated, and they mean quicker updates!**_

_**Also! To anyone reading my other stories, I'm sooo sorry that it's taking so long to update them! I hope to get two of them updated by the end of tomorrow. ;)**_

_**And, I'd love you forever if you go to my poll and vote for your top five Vocaloid couples. Reason won't be said yet. :D**_

_**Criticism welcome. **_

_**And goodbye!(:**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**After this chapter, things will begin to slow down… (: Enjoy~!**_

_**.::Review Replies::.**_

_**Candybear24: **__Thank youuu!(: I actually have a number of reasons for making Rin the bad guy. The most important, though, is that in [Why or Why Not?] I made a point of Miki chopping off her hair to fit in with the popular crowd (Rin and Gumi.) And even some freakishly tall person like Miki can feel hopeless even around Rin if the whole school is against her. You're very welcome! Thank youuu for reviewing my story!_

_**Skie Narkie: **__I actually wasn't expecting you of all people to review for me. :D Yay~! *is happy* Thank you! I'm glad you like my stories. I didn't feel that my oneshot was all that sad, but yours is all 'happy-joyful' and once you realize what's going on…it's just depressing. XD I can't believe you aren't a huge supporter of this couple, yet you're still reading. *feels honored* Thanks for favoriting!(:_

_**Gold Phantom: **__I shall(:_

_**And of course, those of you who followed (Scarlet Eventide,**_ _**Lyric22, and FlyingMintBunny579) shan't be forgotten!(: Thanks, guys~!**_

The next day, Piko found himself searching the crowd for the familiar cherry-red ahoge he knew to be Miki, but even though he waited in the same hall where he first met her, she never did make an appearance. He went on as though it wasn't bothering him, but the questions buzzed around in his mind nonstop. How was she doing? Had she even showed up for school that day? He'd have asked Rin, but he really didn't want to be around that priss after witnessing how she treated such a vulnerable kid – who practically _begged_ for her to stop.

He still didn't hear a word from her the day after that. He thought he saw her in the crowd once, but when he called to her, she didn't respond. Either she hadn't heard him or she'd ignored him all together. That alone was enough to make his heart sink.

_She still thinks I'll hurt her like everyone else. Well, I promise that I won't! I am a man, and a man does _not_ break his word, _he thought stubbornly as he headed to class with his head held high.

During the weekend, he only found himself thinking of Miki. Two whole days. He'd have to spend two _full_ days waiting for another day at school, and another chance to see her again. He wondered if she was doing okay. It already felt like years since he'd spoken to her, and after making his promise to her, he only wanted to stay true to his word. But if she kept evading him, he'd never get to do so. Piko scolded himself for not asking for her phone number when he talked to her in the janitor's closet, but then it occurred to him…

Did she even have a phone?

And if she did, was it just another way for her tormentors to get to her and make her life miserable?

Sure, being tortured physically was a pain. But if her phone number had slipped out somehow, then everyone – _any_one – could send her vicious text messages that told her to go kill herself because she was useless, or that she was just another whore that the world didn't need.

The thought infuriated Piko to no end. He'd often heard stories of people being degraded to the point where they would cry themselves to sleep at night. And the bullying was all for no apparent reason. And what bothered him even more was that no person even tried to step in to help; they would either ignore the problem or join in.

He was not going to do either of those.

At school on Monday, things were the same. He continuously took different routes to his classes in hopes of passing her at some point. However, he still had no luck.

When he took a seat at the lunch table, everyone seemed to take notice in his new behavior. Especially Rin. She had always been the kind to keep her eye out for some kind of gossip to pass onto the texting maniac, Neru, even if her closest friends were the main subjects. Piko knew he would be no exception to her wrath, so he pretended that he didn't notice it when she raised a perfect golden eyebrow at him for being so quiet and reserved. Rin only fixed him with her icy glare as she sipped at her orange juice, until Len finally managed to get her attention away from Piko with a kiss.

Piko bit into his sandwich and ate it half-heartedly, his gaze fixed on some point ahead of himself. Whenever someone spoke to him or asked him a question, he replied as simply as he could to avoid getting dragged into a conversation that he wouldn't pay any attention to, anyway. The thirty minute lunch period seemed like ages, and the bell signaling for them to go back to class was like an angel calling him to heaven.

Being around those who caused the most pain for Miki was hell.

:::::

"You've been awfully distracted recently, Utatane," Meiko-Sensei murmured thoughtfully as Piko stopped to stand in front of her desk. The bell signaling the end of the day had rung, so naturally, the other students had fled the room as though it were on fire, leaving just the two of them. The young, brunette teacher slapped a packet of papers down in front of him, a big red 'D' circled in the top right corner. "This isn't like you. What happened to my straight 'A' student? Is it just that you don't understand the material?"

Piko picked up Friday's Math test and scanned the paper, his eyes resting on the numerous equations and numbers that made complete sense to him. Looking over it now, it seemed like nothing but stupid mistakes that he would've been able to catch had he been paying attention. He looked up to meet his teacher's concerned chestnut gaze.

"I understand it, Sensei," he told her confidently, holding the papers back out for her to take. "I've just had a lot on my mind recently."

Meiko-sensei dropped his test on top of the others, plopping down in her chair. "Is it anything that I or your counselor, maybe, can help you with?"

A little too quickly, Piko shook his head. "I've got it all under control."

Did he? Did he _really_? Surely, Miki needed more help than only he could give her. But would she really want that much attention being drawn to her?

Of course not.

She sat in silence for a few moments, staring up at him with one of her stern teacher looks before nodding slightly. "If you say so, Utatane." Meiko-sensei brushed back some of her short brown bangs. "If you do need someone to talk to, though, I'm always here. And Aoki is always in the guidance office."

"Thank you, Meiko-sensei, but that won't be necessary." Piko gave a curt nod as he started for the door. "Have a nice day."

"You too!"

_I__ did the right thing, right? By not telling Sensei about Miki's situation?_ he wondered as he made his way for the front doors of the sighed as he pushed them open and stepped into the crisp fall air. His second year in high school, and things were already so much more complicated than he would've ever thought they'd be. His parents had warned him that there would be drama and all sorts of crap getting to him, but he really didn't think that one victim of bullying – and someone he didn't even _know_ – would change his life.

Piko trotted down the stairs in front of the school and took a left turn to head for his house, dropping his gaze to stare down at his shoes as they carried him along the length of pavement. The usual sounds of afterschool drifted around him. He could hear all the coaches barking orders to kids as they struggled to please them, along with the hushed murmurs of a few students who had gathered in groups to hang out on the school grounds before heading home.

Yet there was something that he didn't recognize.

That was a lie.

He knew the voices, but they were much…harsher than he ever remembered them being. Surely the other students could hear it, too?

Piko didn't bother to break into a run to see what was going on. The ruckus was coming from somewhere behind the school, and he'd be passing that general area on his way home anyway. _Probably some ridiculous fight_, he told himself.

"You can stop crying any time now, you useless brat."

As he got nearer, Piko could not only hear Gakupo's voice, but he could also see him facing the brick wall, flanked by two others. Gakupo, the freakishly tall captain of the basketball team. Gakupo, the pervert who brought home a new girl every weekend. Gakupo, the most relentless boy in the _whole_ school.

Something was definitely up.

A few weak sniffles came from the center of the half-circle they'd formed around a person who was pressed back against the wall.

"If you don't shut up now, we'll make this even harder on you," another boy – Kaito, a member of the basketball team as well – growled.

Piko let his backpack drop to the ground before bounding towards the group. _That wasn't Miki, was it?_ he thought as he came to a stop behind the boys. He'd drawn all the attention to him from his loud running, so the three of them turned around to face him, their gazes challenging.

"Ah. Piko, it's only you," Gakupo purred, eyes softening as he stepped aside to reveal none other than the terrified Miki, who stared towards Piko with wide, desperate eyes. "Would you like to join us? We figured we could have a little fun with the most hated girl in the school." He turned back to her, a smirk dancing across his lips as he squeezed her arm tight enough to cause her to tilt her head back and let out a weak cry of protest. "After all, nobody believes a slut who cries wolf."

He raised a brow, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying anything he might regret. He didn't want to see them hurt Miki, but how could he make them leave her alone?

"Yea," Mikuo chimed in, padding towards Piko with a smile that could fool anybody into believing that he was a kind and considerate boy. "I bet this girl could scream to pitches no one's ever dreamt of."

The redhead whimpered, her bottom lip quivering in fear. Gakupo's fingers constricted around her arm, and she squealed again, trying to move away from him. He only yanked her back into place and bent down to whisper threats into her ear.

Piko rolled his neck as he made his final choice. Sure, the three boys were a lot taller than he, and no-doubt, they were stronger as well. But he would have to take the direct approach, because he couldn't bear to toy with Miki's emotions…Playing along with them might result either in Miki losing her trust in him altogether or him actually being trapped into doing things he wouldn't want to do. Or worse, both.

Obviously, there were far better ways to handle the situation, but this seemed like his best option. He wouldn't back away and go to a teacher, because half the time, adults made things worse. And he couldn't just back up now that he'd seen what they were doing.

Piko advanced on them with quick, smooth strides toward the group and reached out to grab Miki by her other wrist. He yanked her back towards him, earning a squeal of surprise from the battered redhead as she was freed from Gakupo. The boys looked equally shocked from the shota's actions, but they didn't say anything or protest. In fact, Gakupo smirked.

"You want her all to yourself, eh?" Gakupo queried, tapping his finger to his chin. "I knew one day that you'd head on over to the dark side. I think I just got more respect for you, Piko, my man." He leaned closer to Miki, capturing her chin with his index finger and thumb and forcing her to look at him, an action that took all of Piko's willpower not to scream at him for. "You will let us know how it was, yes? We may have to pleasure ourselves anyway. After all, she must be the only virgin in school, and lucky you, _you_ get to be the one to rape her senseless."

Narrowing his eyes, Piko jerked Miki out of his grasp. "Get your own girl to toy with, got it?"

"Feisty, Piko, feisty." Gakupo wagged his finger at the white-haired boy and spun around, his long purple locks cascading down his back like a waterfall. "I'll be sure to tell Rinny of this little change. She won't be as suspicious of you then."

"Suspicious?" Piko's voice rose to high note as he questioned Gakupo's words. "Why is she suspicious?"

"She thinks you're going soft. You know…" His fierce lavender gaze met Piko's. "Thinks you're willing to help pathetic kids like her." He jerked his head in Miki's direction, and the redhead lowered her gaze to avoid his looks.

_Stand up for her! _His heart urged him to do one thing, but his mind told him another. _Stand up for her! Don't let them put her down anymore!_

"Of course I wouldn't," Piko scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Rin needs to get more evidence before she comes to a conclusion like that."

_Idiot._

"Well, we'll leave you to your…activity," said Kaito, chuckling darkly as he beckoned for Mikuo to follow him towards the group of cheerleaders gathered in the field for a few quick stretches. "Might be able to pick up a few of these girls. They'll be better than that pathetic rat ever could be," he spat out, his words like venom not only to Miki, who was the sole receiver of his violence, but also to Piko.

Gakupo stayed behind for a few moments, waiting for the two boys to be out of earshot before whispering, "I've got my eye on you. Your actions are just a little suspicious, Utatane." His gaze flicked over to Miki, who watched his with tear-laden eyes. "But if you _are_ telling me the truth, then promise me you'll make that sorry bitch scream and beg until she goes hoarse."

Next to him, Piko felt Miki tense up. He could hear her suck in a large breath of air, but she stayed quiet until Gakupo had taken a seat next to Kaito and Mikuo by the cheerleaders.

Piko pulled Miki after him until he was sure they were out of sight, hidden by the thick branches of the bushes. And almost immediately, Miki swung her arms around him, burying her face into his chest with choking sobs that wracked her small frame. Hesitantly, he lifted his hands up to her back and let them hover there over her skin. He wanted to open his mouth to say something, but there were no words…he let his chin rest on her shoulder, her silky red hair tickling his nose. Miki's body shook violently, but he took no mind. She was okay now, after all. Nothing bad would get her if he was there.

Her voice, cracking with pain and the tiniest bit of relief, broke the sounds he'd grown accustomed to – her hiccups and his soft breaths. "I-I-I w-wasn't sure if I-I should've c-c-called for y-you…" She constricted her arms around him even tighter as her hot, salty tears soaked into his shirt.

"I would've helped," Piko whispered gently, running his thin fingers through her long, silky locks of cherry-scented hair. "Anytime you need me, I'm here."

"W-Why are you so nice to me?" Miki heaved a shaky sigh against his chest, and with it, Piko noticed most of her trembling died away.

"Whether you choose to believe me or not, I'm here to help you. Always." Piko almost jerked her back when she stepped away from him to meet his gaze. He couldn't hide the pity in his own eyes when he saw that hers were bloodshot and red-rimmed from tears. Which seemed to be a regular occurrence. He wondered what she would look like if she hadn't cried in days. How gorgeous would she be then? Even more so than she was now?

Miki lifted her hand to rub her eyes vigorously as she sniffled. "T-thank you…but…won't you ruin your own image if you hang out with me?"

He hadn't thought of that. No doubt, if Rin caught him hanging out with Miki, he would be shunned by her. And that would lead to him becoming a social outcast like Miki in no time. But in return…he would most likely gain the truest friend a person could ever have.

The choice was simple.

"Who cares?" Piko flashed a smile that made her give him one back – and was it refreshing to see such a beautiful smile on such a gorgeous face. "C'mon. I'll walk you home so no one else can mess with you."

"A-are you sure?" Miki tipped her head to one side, sniffling again.

Piko chuckled. "Positive. And don't try to talk me out of it, because it's not happening. Where's your backpack?"

"U-uh…" The redhead slowly turned to look around, before pointing in the direction of a thick bush, heavy with briars. "They threw it over there…"

_Those heartless pricks_. Piko padded over to the bush to see her mahogany backpack lodged in the middle, in a spot where it would be next to impossible to reach without getting shredded by thorns. He sighed, but stood up on his tippy toes and tried to reach it, ignoring the points of the briars digging into his delicate skin. Miki made soft noises of protest as she bounded over to his side, wincing at how badly his arm started to bleed as he pulled her bag back towards him. Piko dropped it at his feet, hissing at the stinging cuts.

"I-I-I'm _so_ sorry!" Miki's hands flew up to cover her mouth, her auburn eyes wider than ever.

"Eh, it's not your fault." Piko shook his arm, scattering droplets of blood on the lush grass, but he picked it up by one of the straps and turned to head in the direction of his own backpack. "Come on. You have to show me where you live."

"Y-You don't need to carry it for me…"

"Of course I do. There are thorns all in it; it'll hurt like hell if you try to put it on."

Miki bounded over to his backpack on the ground and snatched it up before he could. "Then I'm carrying yours," she insisted, slinging it over her shoulders and crossing her arms stubbornly. "It's the least I can do."

A smile formed on Piko's lips from ear to ear as he watched her walk down the sidewalk in the direction he'd been heading all along. _Five minutes and she's acting like the happiest girl alive. _Piko bounded to catch up with her, slowing to a brisk walk as he fell in step at her side.

"Thank you, Piko…" she murmured, kicking a rock and watching it roll down the sidewalk until it bounced into the grass off their path.

"It's my pleasure." Piko shrugged, though he wasn't sure if she could see it. "Miki, you and I should meet before school. I'll walk you to class in the mornings so they don't have time to get to you."

"Nah." She shook her head slowly. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to make such a big change to your routine just for me."

"But I want to." Piko fell quiet, as did she. And it was pretty awkward for the few long moments that stretched on before he was able to speak again. "I don't want to see them doing this to you again. I don't care that I barely know you. I don't want to see you hurting."

Miki's laugh was forced. "You're the first person to ever believe that," she whispered, before adding more loudly, "I suppose it's okay, then."

Piko grinned. "Good. How about we meet in front of the school?"

"Eh…sure." Miki stopped walking and started to shrug his backpack off. "We're here."

Focused completely on their conversation and whatever pain Miki was going through, Piko hadn't really been paying attention where they were going. But now, he knew the very place they were at. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. She lived _there _and he never knew until now?

"…what?" Miki shifted, uncomfortable.

"I…live right down the street." Piko turned and pointed towards the hill where his house rested. "Right up there."

"Oh…" She gave a weak smile before passing his backpack back to him and retrieving her own. "Guess we can meet here, then? In the mornings?"

"Definitely." Piko waved when he noticed that she was backing towards her house. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yea." Miki paused with her hand over the doorknob. "And Piko?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

_**Wow. Five minutes before I have to be in bed. Yea…so I rushed the last few lines of this. But not too bad, right?**_

_**More reviews mean quicker updates! Next chapter might be like twice the length of this one.:D**_

_**See you!**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I got double the amount of reviews that I did last time, so I updated faster, as promised;) Thanks guys! I seriously didn't expect this story to have this much love AT ALL, since PikoxMiki either isn't liked as much or just is a dying interest. People seem to focus more on fanfics with the really popular VocaloidsD:**_

_**Anyways, before I forget. PLEASE GO VOTE ON MY POLL! I listed a bunch of different pairings (26, to be exact) and I'd like you all *points* to vote for your 5 favorites so I know what couples to support in my next big project;D**_

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**.::Review Replies::.**

**Gold Phantom: **_I shall(: And good idea. Hmm…I just might have to add something about that in this chapter. ;) Thanks for reviewing!_

**Candybear24: **_Miku? Hm…Maybe. I might end up letting her have a brief appearance here. Well since you asked, I went to go check them out! And I'll be more than happy to help if I can. Thanks for reviewing!_

**RosieLuvsMikuo: **_Lol, while I was reading your review, all I could see was Mikuo just walking away all awkwardly and tsundere-like while a girl chased after him. *cough*You*cough* And 'idiot-pie'? XD Thanks for reviewing!_

**YellowFluffiesForever22:**_Most questions shall be answered here;) You make such a good point! Lots of people are jerks now! I miss it when everyone was so kind to each other! (Or…more so than they are now.) Thanks for reviewing!_

**Satuross:**_Yay! Thankies~!_

**Mirror of Words: **_Piko/IA? I've never really considered anyone other than Miki, but that one does seem adorable. I actually planned to make IA one of the bad guys…but I think I shall change it to someone else now. :3 And well, if you're in Miki's position and everyone either ignores your pain or causes it, won't it feel like the whole school just hates you? And if you think she'd have someone other than Piko to go to for these troubles…well, read on;)_

**Jello-is-awesome-123:**_ I PMed you, so you already know what I had to say. (:_

**Flamingfirelight:**_ Thank youuu! I'm so glad you like it! I'm updating faster since I got more reviews(: Thanks for reviewing._

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_**T**__**hanks for the favorites and follows too~! :D You guys are amazing~!**_

_**This chapter was actually meant to be their relationship for 2 years, but I didn't think I'd come up with so much to write for it. So this may expand over 3 or 4 chapters instead. (:**_

_**Oh, and this school has no uniform. Because I can do that. And I'm sorry if it's not very 'in-touch' with how real Japanese schools are. I know nothing about them, so no complaints. But I am learning more about them, so I can be more accurate next time.**_

_**Enjoy~!**_

**Day 1 (of being Miki's friend)**

**7:12 a.m.**

"You actually waited!"

"You actually came!"

The two teens were equally surprised upon seeing each other the next day. As Piko came to a halt in front of Miki's house, the redhead rose to her feet from where she sat on the porch steps and bounded down the walkway to meet him. A bright smile was spread across her face, her voice happier than he ever remembered it. Her eyes glistened with joy, and for the first time she seemed like a normal person. Normal, meaning she wasn't crying or shrinking away in fear for once. She was just…_herself_.

The white-haired boy couldn't stop a grin of his own from spreading ear to ear as she stopped in front of him. He thought she looked beautiful in the clothes she wore, however simple they were. A plain salmon-pink tee shirt and a pair of grey jeans. And he couldn't help but think that they brought out her dazzling eyes.

"Of course I did," he laughed, waving his hand as a sign that they should get going. "I told you, Miki, I keep my promises."

She fell in step beside him, her hands clasped together behind her back. "You have no idea how much that means to me," Miki murmured as she ducked her head bashfully so he couldn't see her blushing face.

Piko closed his eyes and tilted his head back for a few moments as a chilly fall breeze prickled his skin, whistling through what few golden and red leaves remained in the trees. "How long did it take you to get the thorns out of your backpack last night?"

The question shocked Miki. Even though he showed genuine concern for her and how she was doing, she hadn't expected him to ask. Sure, it was a simple and downright ridiculous question that should have _no_ meaning. But to her…it was the first time someone had remembered such a small detail about her since she was younger and actually _had_ friends. It took her a moment to be able to respond. "Er…not too long. I got pricked a couple of times, though," she mumbled, extending her hand to show him a light brown Band-Aid wrapped around her index finger. "And you? You got pretty scratched up."

"It was nothing. Don't worry about such a thing." Piko shrugged it off, but he had, in fact, gotten some pretty bad cuts from it. By the time he got home, the blood had turned into stiff crimson goop that lined the nicks along his forearm. He'd worn a long sleeve shirt to keep the marks hidden, even though it wasn't really something he should have been ashamed about.

"Oh." Miki was barely audible over the tranquil sound of the wind and the familiar hum of the voices of several people milling about on the streets.

Unsure of how to reply, Piko let a peaceful silence wash over them, leaving the pair to walk towards school with their feet _pat_ _pat_ _patting_ on the sidewalk. Yet they still kept a safe distance from each other, at least an arm's length apart, and they let their gazes wander to anywhere except each other.

It was almost unnerving; after all, once they got within sight of the school and people saw them walking together, rumors would start to spread like a wildfire. And when Gakupo found out that Piko just might not have done…certain things…like he hinted he would, there was no doubt that the purple-haired jerk would take it into his own hands. Even worse...when word got to Rin…

Piko didn't even want to think about it.

But…strangely enough…he was fine with the thought that he would no longer be able to hang out with his other 'friends,' anyway. They were bullies. He wasn't.

"P-Piko…" Miki's choked and nervous voice jerked him out of his thoughts, and immediately, he snapped his head to the right to look at her. Only, she wasn't there. He had been so caught up in thinking of what would happen to himself that he hadn't noticed the redhead slow down and come up behind him. Her hands were firmly placed on his shoulders – well, as firmly as she could manage, and that wasn't a very strong hold seeing as she was such a fragile girl – in an attempt to hold him in place so she could cower there behind him.

He glanced around to see what had gotten her so upset, but the answer was right there in front of him in the form of Kagamine Rin. Her cerulean eyes were narrowed at him, cold and unforgiving. Gumi and Kaiko stood on either side of her, their hands on their hips and heads cocked to the side.

"Protecting the whore, are you?" Rin drawled out slowly, leaning forward so that her minty breath hit Piko's face. She tipped her head in Miki's direction, and a slow smirk crawled up her face as she blinked carelessly at the girl. "Can't say I'm surprised."

"Rin, don't you –" Piko broke off when she held a slender finger up to his lips. He could almost taste the strong nail polish from her manicure.

"You and I aren't on the _friends_ level anymore, Utatane," she spat out cruelly. "I expect you to call me by my last name from now on."

Piko gritted his teeth as Rin stepped back. _The nerve of that bitch!_

"I also don't want to see your face at our lunch table anymore. Not unless you ditch that whore." Rin's gaze flicked to Miki before meeting Piko's again. "I will, however, hold a spot for you for seven days. That's all the time you get. You see, Utatane, I'm being generous. Most people don't get an opportunity like that."

He stayed quiet. What could he say? He wasn't very good at standing up for people, not even for himself. But…Rin's words _really_ pissed him off. There Miki was, trembling behind him, and he couldn't so much as tell them to back off!

"Goodbye, Utatane." Rin's bratty voice rang out again. "And, you." She pointed a finger at the redhead behind him. "Watch yourself."

With that, she spun around on her heel and padded away, her hips dancing to and fro in a way that attracted the attention of all or most of the boys nearby. Kaiko smirked, and Gumi did the same, before they followed after her.

"I-If you hadn't been here," Miki mumbled against his ear, her breath tickling his skin enough to make him shiver, "they would've hurt me."

"Did I not tell you I'd keep you safe?" Piko flashed her a playful smirk as she came out from behind him, glancing back and forth, clearly nervous at the attention she was getting. She gave him a simple, forced smile as he made his way towards the front of the school. "Miki? Do you want to eat lunch together?"

Her head snapped in his direction. "I-I…" It took her a few moments to find her voice, before finally stammering out, "I-I don't…er…e-e-eat lunch…"

Piko raised a brow as he pushed the door open for her. "Why not?"

Her response was barely audible. "Not allowed to eat in the library…"

"And why do you sit in the library?"

"I-I…prefer to stay away from people…"

His gaze softened. "Well, Miki. I'll tell you what." He came to a halt, turning to look at her with a joyful expression. "I'm joining you today."

:::::

(_Lunch time_)

"Miki, you here?" Piko asked as he set foot into the library. The noise from the crowds of students milling about in the hall was muffled in that place, his own voice ringing out and bouncing off what must've been thousands of books resting on those ancient shelves. In his the pocket of his hoodie, he held his bento – which he had a hard time concealing in such a tiny space, but he really didn't want to be caught by the librarian. Luckily, she wasn't there at the moment.

"I'm back here."

Piko followed the sound of her cracking voice, making his way around the circular tables that filled the room and walking past a couple of shelves until he arrived in the back corner of the library. There, he saw the redhead girl sitting on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest. His brow furrowed as he rushed over to her and knelt down at her side.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…"

"I can tell you're lying." Piko shuffled and finally leaned back against the shelf so that he was next to her, his leg barely brushing up against hers. "But if you don't want to talk about it, I guess I shouldn't pressure you into it."

"It's just…they always pick on me…" She sniffled softly, wiping her red nose with the end of her sleeve.

Piko narrowed his eyes as he pulled out the little bento and set it on the floor next to him. "Did Rin do something to you?"

Miki shook her head slowly. "T-That guy from yesterday…"

Squeezing his eyes shut, Piko let out a heavy sigh. Of course. He should've guessed. No way was Gakupo going to leave her alone. There was a downside. Piko didn't have any classes with the red-haired girl. She was on her own during hall breaks, too. And if Gakupo found a way to take her during that time…Piko would never forgive himself.

"Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head again, whimpering.

"Then what'd he do?"

"H-he…" She trailed off, the whole room going quiet for no more than a second before she broke down into wails and hiccups. Miki buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking violently as Piko, unsure of how to comfort her, patted her head and murmured gentle words to her. Finally, she managed to finish her sentence, however her words were strangled. "H-he s-said he'd get me sometime when you weren't a-around and h-h-he would make sure it h-h-hurt l-like h-hell…"

Piko closed his hand over her head, taking a fist-full of her smooth hair in his palm before letting his fingers trail through the whole length of the cherry-red locks. "Miki, he's not gonna touch you."

"B-b-but he will!" She tried to shout, but her words only came out in an urgent whisper. Miki started to hiccup again as a flood of tears poured down her cheeks, and this time, Piko slipped his arm around her shoulders.

"I'll stay by your side every moment that I can, okay?" he murmured gently. "I promise you, Miki, I'll keep you _safe from harm_."

**Day 4**

**11:47 a.m.**

He'd forgotten to bring a bento that day. And it really didn't bother him too much, since he actually liked the school lunches. They weren't all that bad, after all. But the thing that bothered him most was the fact that he would have to leave Miki alone for a little while longer, and he had the risk of running into Rin or Len or someone else who strictly disagreed of his new friendship. Even though he hadn't been on the receiving end of their hate as Miki was, he could certainly _feel the love_. They stared at him like he was some alien walking around. He could hear their hushed murmurs when he was just too far away to actually hear any of the words clearly, but once he got too close, the people would fall quiet. No one had come directly up to him to question his friendship with Miki, nor did he ever learn what rumors were going around about him.

All Piko knew was that his so-called 'friends' refused to speak to him now.

And he couldn't say he minded. People like that didn't deserve to be his friends. Only Miki deserved his kindness. And while he hadn't been pressuring her into talking about her getting bullied, he had managed to crack her shell a bit in such a short time. Miki started to smile around him, and he celebrated that moment on the third day – yesterday – when she kept a big grin on her face the whole time at lunch without even bothering to bring up the things that were ruining her life.

That made him happier than he'd ever been.

Piko blinked carelessly at those who stared at him while he stood with his arms crossed in the lunch line. They could get over themselves. It wasn't like they were perfect. Then again, Piko was definitely the best and kindest one of all those stuck-up, heartless kids. He dared to befriend the social outcast. They tortured her or walked away like there was nothing happening.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and the moment Piko turned around, he got a whiff of that strong citrus perfume that Rin practically bathed in. He stared at her expressionlessly, a silent will for her to speak.

So the blonde monster did. "I can't believe you're still talking to the school's biggest whore," she spat out, folding her arms across her chest.

"Bigger than you?" He didn't even notice what he said until he saw Rin there, mouth agape. And, of course, his rude comment wouldn't have been complete without a few of the nosy students going 'Oooooh!' and whispering to each other about the screaming match they figured would break out. Piko only blinked. His lips twitched, desperate to form a smirk, but he managed to hold it back.

After taking a moment to get over the shock, Rin finally snorted and waved one of her hands dismissively. "I may sleep around with lots of guys, but even _I'm_ not interested in incest."

He raised his eyebrows in confusion, tilting his head to one side. "W-What?"

Rin chuckled darkly and began to circle him like he was her prey. "What, you haven't heard what that girl did with her daddy?"

Piko's mouth dropped open, but the moment he saw a look of victory flash in Rin's eyes, he closed it. "What do you mean?"

"What's there to explain?" Rin shrugged and rolled her eyes before laughing again. "It's pretty disgusting, isn't it?"

"I-I-I'm sure you've got something wrong, Kagamine," Piko insisted, suddenly at a loss for words. Rin was just saying that, surely? People didn't do things like that! It was wrong and sick!

"I don't have anything wrong. Trust me, Utatane, when I spread rumors, I _know_ my stuff." The golden-haired girl turned around and took a step away from Piko. "Why don't you ask her about it? I'm sure she'd be more than willing to tell you about her '_adventures with daddy'_." With that, Rin left, leaving Piko with questions that he couldn't simply _ask_ Miki.

**Day 9**

**2:59 p.m.**

"I can't believe the week is already half over…" Miki murmured as she and Piko rounded the corner to head down the street to their houses.

"You almost sound sad," the white-haired boy remarked half-heartedly, shoving his hands into his pockets and dropping his gaze down to stare at his feet. He still wanted to ask her about what Rin told him. Oh, he had so many questions. Did she do what Rin said she did? …Gakupo had said something about her being a virgin. One of them had to be wrong. The easiest way for him to find out was to bring it up to Miki… But how was he to ask them without hitting a nerve? You didn't just go up to people and ask them if they slept with their parents!

"You know…" She tapped her finger to her chin, her voice considerate. "I kinda am. Time's been flying by now that I have someone to talk to!"

Piko smiled, a light pink color making its way up to his cheeks. "I'm glad you feel that way, Miki."

"And what about you?"

He barely noticed that she'd stepped in front of him and was fixing him with a look of concern. Her eyes were so pretty, he noted, and…so close to his own! Piko nervously took a step back. "H-huh? What d'you mean?"

"Well…you seem pretty depressed. Something bothering you? You can talk to me, if you want." Miki looked away with a timid smile. "I mean, since you let me vent, I suppose I can do the same in return, right?"

"Eh…" Piko's eyes darted to and fro as he thought furiously for a response. And Miki only stood there innocently, looking down at him – yes, she was a few inches taller than him, but that little bit of a difference was barely noticeable. "I'm s-sorry, but…this isn't really the kind of thing I can share with you…"

"Oh!" Miki's eyes widened as she let out a surprised – and kind of sexy – gasp. Immediately, she started waving her arms back and forth and stumbling over her words in an apology. "I-I'm so- I mean- I-I'm sorry, P-Piko…I-I shouldn't h-have asked…I-er…" She stopped in her panic attack when he let out a few soft chuckles.

"Don't be. I appreciate the concern, actually." He smiled and nodded at her as he leaned up against the white picket fence post next to the walkway that led up to her front porch. "See you tomorrow morning?"

"Y-yea! O-of course!" Miki bowed her head slightly before heading to the door. "Bye, Piko!"

"Bye, Miki." Piko narrowed his eyes at the window on the upper level of the house, where the curtain swished frantically as though it had just been thrown back into place. Was someone watching them?

**Day 10**

**7:17 a.m.**

For the first time since they'd agreed to meet in the mornings, Piko didn't see Miki waiting outside her house. He leaned back against the mailbox, crossing his arms. He figured that maybe she was a little late, but when five minutes passed and she never did come out, he padded up the walkway and stopped on the front porch. Maybe she was sick? He should at least knock and see if she was there. After all, why would she go on ahead if it was practically guaranteeing her torture?

Piko let his knuckles rap three times on the yellowing wood of the front door, and he stepped back as he waited for a response.

Nothing.

It took him a moment to decide what to do. Piko shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and paced the porch for a couple of minutes before finally deciding to just head on to school. She was sick, definitely. Miki wouldn't go unless he was there at her side, right?

:::::

(_Lunchtime_)

"Back to read again, Mr. Utatane?" The familiar voice of the librarian made Piko jump. She was rarely there during lunch, so he hadn't expected to see her standing behind the desk, with a pair of orange glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. Her tiny hands held a book with a dark red cover up to her face.

"Yes, ma'am," he said politely.

She smiled, running one hand through her long cream-colored hair. Her dark blue eyes were friendly. "Nice to know someone still has an interest in books. Have fun, Mr. Utatane. I'll be heading to the teacher's lounge here in a minute, so please don't destroy anything. They'll say it's my fault for leaving the library unattended."

"Yes, ma'am," he said again, with a brief nod. She'd told him the exact same thing on Friday when he'd walked in.

With that, he headed for the corner he and Miki usually sat in, plucking a random book from the shelf so that it seemed as though he was serious on his promise to read. As he got closer, he could hear soft sniffles, so he quickened his pace until he was able to see the red-haired girl, sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her knees. Piko raised his eyebrows in pity.

"Hey…" he murmured softly, just loud enough to get her attention.

Miki slowly lifted her head. "I-I wasn't here this morning…Why'd you come here for lunch?"

Piko took a seat next to her and pulled out his bento, along with two pairs of chopsticks. "I had to see if you were just late. Besides, Rin and the others kinda won't let me sit with them anymore. Not that I want to." He took the lid off and set it to the side, holding his lunch in between them in one hand so she could have access to it.

"You're so nice, it's almost suspicious," she whispered as she picked up a rice ball with her chopsticks.

He chuckled. "Sorry…" Piko paused until he'd swallowed his bite of chicken. "So, are you gonna tell me why you were crying?"

"….Gakupo found me."

Piko's eyes widened as fury coursed through him from head to toe. "What?!" His voice had gotten a little bit louder than he meant for it to, and he immediately felt bad about it when he saw Miki shrink away from him in terror, wincing as though she thought he was going to hit her. He sighed, placing his bento on the ground. "What happened?"

Miki lowered her gaze to stare at the ground. "H-he…" She sighed. "He came out of nowhere and grabbed me. I-I…I thought I was done for, but…I screamed. And it must've startled him, because he loosened his grip. I took that moment to run." She let out a soft whimper before murmuring, "I've been in here since the-_ah_!"

He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting tears of his own. Piko had flung his arms around her suddenly, clutching at the fabric on the back of her shirt. His nose was buried in her neck and his lips tickled her collarbone as he mumbled, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I promised I'd protect you."

Hesitantly, Miki's arms wrapped around him, holding him as tight as she could as though it was some kind of way to tell him 'It's okay. It wasn't your fault.' But she never did say anything to him.

**Day 19**

**2:46 p.m.**

"So, you have anything planned for this weekend?" Piko asked awkwardly, turning away from Miki when she tried to meet his gaze.

"Er..not really, no." Miki twiddled her thumbs uncomfortably, slowly increasing the distance between her and Piko as they walked, which was enough to make Piko feel as though her was making her uneasy around him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I just thought that maybe you'd like to hang out. You know, as friends."

Miki stopped mid-stride, and Piko looked over to her hurriedly, afraid he'd just upset her somehow. But a grin grew on her lips, and her eyes became bright with excitement. "R-really?"

"Sure. _Why not_?"

That smile was a smile that he was sure he'd never forget. It was contagious, causing him to grin real big and blush at the thought of getting to spend a Saturday just chilling with Miki. But how long had it been since she had gone out with a friend? It would definitely be something nice for her.

"Thanks! I mean, yea! I'd love to!" Miki nodded enthusiastically. "I should give you my number, then?"

Piko nodded once. "Er…yea. Tell me when you can meet up and we can go for a walk or something. You know, something simple."

Miki spun her backpack around and fished for one of her favorite red ink pens. She shook it a little before removing the cap and signaling for him to hold out his hand. He obliged, trying not to laugh or smile as the pen tickled his skin. Her little hand held his, and merely feeling her skin brush against his sent a tingle through his body.

When she stepped back, Piko looked down to see what she'd written, confirming that he finally did, in fact, have Miki's cell number. He smiled at her as she trotted up to her front door and went inside.

**Day 20**

**11:32 a.m.**

"_Hey! Wanna meet up today for lunch?"_

Piko sighed as he threw his phone down on his bed. He rolled over onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. Even though it had only been a few seconds, it felt like years. Why was he starting to feel all nervous around her now? He hadn't known her all that long – a month, at the most. But he couldn't deny that her personality was beautiful and _damn_, she had the most captivating gaze. He really did care for her, and as days passed, he got more and more worried about her. She seemed happy, but she was still getting taunted. The poor girl would get tormented one minute, and once he started talking to her, she'd force a smile to make _him_ feel better. And it wouldn't be long before she was laughing and smiling for real.

Guess he was doing good for her, then, right?

He jumped when he heard his phone go off, and he fumbled for the little blue device at his side, desperate to read her message.

"_Sure! When and where?:)"_

Piko typed out a quick response. After all, he'd already been thinking about where he'd take her if she accepted.

"_How about that new café downtown in thirty minutes? Don't worry about the prices. It's my treat."_

He set his phone down again, thinking she might take some time to consider, but he got his answer almost instantly.

"_Awww! Thankyouthankyouthankyou, Piko~! You're so sweet! I'll be waiting outside my house!"_

Piko grinned and hugged his phone to his chest. She may not consider it to be…but to him…it was a _date_.

::::

12:07 p.m.

"Ah! Miki, you look nice," Piko murmured as he approached her, scratching the back of his head nervously as she blushed from his words. It was quite true; he'd always seen her wearing clothes that wouldn't attract too much attention – fear of Rin or Gumi or someone getting angry with her for stealing their thunder. Miki couldn't help it that she more beautiful than any of them, especially in a rich blue shirt that fell off one shoulder. It really brought out the color of her eyes and hair.

"Er…thank you…" Miki whispered as he finally halted in front of her. She averted her gaze when he tried to look at her and mumbled, "So, uh…"

Piko was quiet for a few seconds, as though he wasn't entirely sure how he should respond. Then, when it struck him that he was making the moment awkward, he stammered, "I-I-er…should we go?"

Miki nodded slowly. "Y-Yea…"

The two padded side by side in silence until they were turning off their street and heading towards downtown, towards the new diner that was a fairly romantic place – or so Piko had heard. He enjoyed walking along beside her, even though they were still walking with an arm's length of distance between them. Either way, it felt nice to him. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing…

"Piko?"

"Hmm?"

"You kinda spaced out." Miki chuckled a little, and when he looked at her, he couldn't resist smiling at how bright her eyes were – such a big change from the crying and depressed girl he first met almost a month ago. "Anyways, I wanted to ask you something."

He almost felt his heart leap out of his chest. "Eh…uh…sure! Ask!" _Love confession?_ Piko did his best to fight his blushing, but he found it hard to do so when her sweet voice reached his ears.

"Well…there's this…uh…" She paused for a moment. "…test coming up in my Math class…"

_Heart. Broken._

"…and I was wondering if, maybe, you could help me study for it next weekend? You know, finals are right around the corner, and I'm a terrible math student…" Miki was only rambling now.

Piko nodded furiously, trying to force a chuckle at how nervous she seemed to be asking him for such a small favor. "Of course I can! I may hate Math, but I understand it."

"Thanks!" The look on her face showed her gratitude, and she started bouncing up and down. For a moment, Piko thought she'd hug him, but she seemed to have forced herself not to and only continued on with their walk.

And lunch wasn't anything special. Well, maybe not to the typical passerby. But Piko…he enjoyed chilling with her and getting to know Miki a little better. He learned all of her favorite things and what she liked to do in her free time. Who would've thought the girl loved cherries and liked to sing? He figured she had an amazing voice, and made a mental note to ask her to sing for him some time.

When she asked Piko what kind of things he was in to, he skillfully turned the conversation around to focus on her again. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk about himself, but he found that every little word coming out of Miki's mouth interested him more.

He knew he was falling for her hard.

And yet he hadn't known her for _that_ long.

**Day 25**

**7:14 a.m.**

"Are you crying?" Piko picked up the pace when he saw Miki sitting on the ground by the fence around her house. He dropped his bag to the ground and collapsed onto his knees next to her. He placed a hand on one of her shoulders, rubbing it in small circles that he hoped would be some kind of comfort.

"I-I shouldn't be…" she mumbled quietly, her voice cracking. "I have so much going for me now…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Piko moved his hand to her cheek so he could capture her chin with his thumb and index finger and force her to look up at him. He smiled weakly upon seeing how red her eyes were, overflowing with tears that ran down her cheeks. "Wanna talk about it?"

"N-not really…but…" She sniffled and half-heartedly tried to turn so he couldn't meet her gaze. "I actually have someone who cares about me, and I still have the nerve to sit and c-c-cry like my life is horrible…"

"Miki…" Piko sighed and brushed some of her hair to the side with his thumb. "You're going through hard times right now. Don't be upset for crying. In fact," he paused, making her look at him again and giving her a reassuring smile, "when you're around me, you can cry all you want."

The redhead's grin was forced.

"Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay…"

"Now let's go." He stood up and held out his hand for her to take.

**Day 27**

**3:31 p.m.**

"This seriously makes no sense." Miki took a couple of fistfuls of her hair and tugged at it in frustration, staring down at the math book on the ground between her and Piko. The numbers and equations printed on the pages were so confusing! How was she supposed to learn all of that – and more – in three weeks?

He only chuckled at her. "Well, we've been at it for two hours. Maybe we should take a break," Piko suggested with a shrug.

Miki looked up at him and nodded slowly, trying to smooth out the tangles in her red locks of hair. "I suppose so. But no matter what happens, I have to learn this sine and cosine crap before Monday. We have a test then and-"

"Relax," he cooed, lifting his arms above his head in a stretch. His form-fitting grey shirt rose up to expose his slender belly. After a yawn, Piko looked back over to her to see that she had a slight blush on her cheeks. "You'll pass it."

She smiled. "Wouldn't be able to without your help." Miki sighed and leaned back until she was lying down on her back, with her hands underneath her head. "Thanks, Piko."

"Oh, quit thanking me." He continued to sit in his spot, hunched over with his elbows on his knees and chin resting in the palms of his hands. Piko let his eyes wander over Miki's body. She didn't seem as scrawny as she was before he started talking to her. She had been like a twig, then; he could even swear he saw her ribs poking out of her shirt. But now, she was eating more, and he knew that was good for her. Not to mention, the girl had a strikingly beautiful hair color and her skin was so perfect and flawless. And – like the pervert he tried not to be – he even noticed her breasts, not too big and not too small.

She was…_perfect._

Miki sat up and fixed him with a quizzical gaze. "Piko?"

He jolted out of his thoughts. "Eh…sorry. I was…thinking."

She inched closer to him curiously, her auburn eyes wide. "About what?"

_Now's your chance to ask about her dad! Or find out something else! _Piko blinked, feeling his face heat up. _I can't tell her what I was really thinking about! She'll label me as a perv! I'm just a boy! I'm just a boy!_

"I was…wondering…" He trailed off uneasily.

"…yes?"

He blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Did you have any friends before?"

And he regretted it the moment it came out.

Miki backed away from, shocked by the question. She stared at him, mouth half-open, unable to respond. Even though she looked like she was trying to choke out a few words…

Piko's hands had flown up to cover his mouth. "M-Miki, I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean-"

"No, no." She fell quiet after that, but she seemed relieved that Piko wasn't freaking out over offending her. Then, she let out a heavy sigh. "I had one friend."

He was relieved, also, that she hadn't been angry with him for prying. As much as he wanted to ask about what Rin had told him, he figured _that_ was something a little too personal to ask just yet. He'd have to wait and find out when they got closer as friends. So he nodded slightly, murmuring, "Who?" Maybe he'd uncover _some _secrets from a brief talk.

The word was only a whisper as the memories came back, memories from a time when Miki was actually happy. "Her name was Mayu."

Piko raised a brow and tipped his head to the side. He only knew one girl by that name. "You mean, the goth chick?"

Miki stared down at her lap. "She was actually a very girly person before we quit talking back in grade seven."

"And why was that?"

"I…kinda told her my biggest secret. Something I never wanted to tell anyone before. And…" A few tears dripped from her chin and landed on the back of her hand as it rested in her lap, and Miki sniffled. "We just started drifting apart after that."

He hesitated. _Did she tell Mayu that she slept with her dad? _Piko gave his head a shake gentle enough so that Miki couldn't see it. _Quit thinking like that. Miki would never do something so disgusting. Not unless she was….forced!_ He felt like he'd just struck gold. No doubt that's what she told Mayu! But…then why wouldn't that girl go tell an authority figure, and get Miki removed from this house? And the bigger question…Why didn't Miki _herself_ seek help?

Wait…could he even be so sure that _that_ was the issue?

"If she's not willing to keep a secret for you, Miki, then she was never a true friend." Piko smiled at her when she met his gaze. "If you ever want to talk to me, I'm here. But…why is it that everyone bullies you?"

Miki buried her face in her hands and groaned out, "Mayu told Miku. Miku told Rin. Rin told Neru. And once Neru learns something…it's out forever."

Piko could believe that. The girl must send more than five thousand messages daily; once something got to Neru, she'd forward it to every student in the school. And then everyone would be talking about it. No wonder Miki became a social reject. If her secret was bad enough, then of course people would start avoiding her.

He leaned forward to place a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry to bring back those memories, Miki. Let's just get back to studying and forget it, okay?"

Piko would never let it leave his mind, though. He'd remember to ask her again someday.

**Day 31**

**12:57 p.m.**

"Yo! Utatane!"

Piko felt his blood run cold. Couldn't the school's biggest diva just leave him alone? He'd already told her that he was done with her crap. What part of that didn't she understand? He turned to look at her, his expression going cold when he met her cerulean eyes, and he muttered an irritated, "What?"

Rin raised a brow at him. "Well, someone's not too happy," she teased cruelly.

"Why should I be?" he countered, heaving a sigh. "Listen, I have a class to get to, so I'd appreciate it if you make this quick."

She stared at him for a few long moments before rolling her eyes. "Have you asked your _girlfriend_ about her relationship with _daddy_?"

Piko forced his face to remain neutral; he didn't want to please her by frowning or scowling or showing her in any way that she had gotten to him. "She's not my girlfriend. And no. I'm not gonna pry into her personal life," he lied easily, even though he wanted nothing more than to find out if Rin's accusations were true.

The golden-haired girl shrugged. "Fine. You're curious, though, Utatane. Just admit it. She's a reject. No one likes her. Except for you. And it's a dumb choice of you to let your reputation go down the drain for someone as pathetic as her."

Piko let a low growl escape from his throat, and before he knew what he was doing, he wrapped his thin fingers around Rin's wrist and pushed her against the lockers, a metal echo bouncing off the walls of the emptying hallways.

"Listen to me, Kagamine," he spat out fiercely. Rin's eyes widened for a moment before narrowing down to slits as he continued. "You think you're so _perfect_? You have no right to be insulting Miki for what she's done – that is, if she's even _done_ anything. So back up, lay off, quit being the sorry bitch you are, and stop acting like you're on top of the world. Because if you ask me, _Princess_, you're worse than you think of Miki." He took a step back and headed off to class, leaving a more than stunned Rin behind.

**Day 34**

**7:41 p.m.**

"Guess I should be getting back to my house. It's getting kinda late," Piko said after a well-deserved stretch. He blinked at Miki as she slammed her math book closed and shoved it towards her backpack, and he stood up. "You're getting better, Miki. I think you'll Ace the finals when they come around."

"Thanks," she whispered, standing up so she could be almost eye-level with his gaze. Miki clasped her hands together behind her back, as though unsure of what her next move should be. "I'll – er – walk you out."

Piko smiled gently and nodded, beckoning for her to take the lead as she led him out of her bedroom, down the creaky stairs, and to the front door. She paused when they got there.

"I suppose I'll see you Monday, then," Miki stated.

Piko had placed his hand on the doorknob, ready to take his leave, but, with twitching fingers, he pulled his hand back. His dual-colored eyes shone with a storm of emotions – mostly anxiety, though, at the question he was trying to gather up the courage to ask. Miki watched him curiously until at last, he spat out what was on his mind.

"Miki…"

"…yea?" She tipped her head to one side, inquisitively. She blinked her innocent doe eyes, the dim lights in her house reflecting off the beautiful mahogany color that he must've fallen in love with.

"Do you…mind if I kiss you?" When she let out a small gasp, Piko felt the blood run icy in his veins. He didn't want her thinking he was only out for one thing, so he _had_ to ask, but…he hadn't expected her to be so shocked. Maybe it wasn't the best way to go about it; he could've been less blunt. Maybe, hint at it for a while before just dropping that on her so suddenly?

Miki sighed quietly before murmuring, "Not at all."

His heart must've done a backflip. Or maybe it was his stomach. Either way, he found himself grinning like an idiot before slowly closing the distance between the two of them. He wondered if this would be her first kiss. It wasn't his; he'd dated IA for a couple of months, and they'd done it quite a lot. Hopefully Miki would be okay with it...

Piko's lips were parted when they met Miki's, and he could definitely tell she was inexperienced by the way she refused to move hers with his at first. _At first_. After spending a few moments coaxing her into it by running his tongue across her lips and tugging at them with his teeth, Miki relaxed and gave him what he wanted. She let out a small '_mmph'_ as the white-haired boy slid his tongue into her mouth to finally get an idea of what she tasted like.

And boy, were cherries delicious.

Miki's eyes were squeezed shut, her brows knitted together as though she were trying to concentrate her hardest on what was going on. The tips of their tongues met in her mouth, and she immediately drew back because she wasn't used to an action so gentle and loving. But Piko leaned into her once again, closing his mouth over hers to kiss her some more. She made a few small noises - protest, definitely not; more like little whining sounds, because he practically stole her breath away as his tongue swept along hers.

During their kiss, neither of them had bothered to move their hands; Piko's hands hung limply at his sides, while Miki's were clasped together behind her back. And the reason why he didn't wrap his arms around her was simple: he didn't want her to think that he would be holding her down. That he was trying to win some kind of control of her like everyone else. Sure, he dominated the kiss, but he was being gentle so that she could break it off or take charge at any time.

When they parted, Piko noticed her face was flushed pink, too – he was sure that his was. He took in a small breath of air and sighed before grabbing the doorknob again.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Miki," he murmured quietly.

"Goodbye." She was clearly in a daze and unable to say anything else.

Piko couldn't get that ridiculous grin off his face.

**Day 37**

**11:34 a.m.**

Things went on as though the two never had shared a kiss. But...there _was_ a difference. Miki didn't keep that safe distance from Piko when they walked to school. Instead, she inched closer so that their arms brushed. And she started laughing more. And that was something that Piko loved, because she had the most amazing laugh. Almost breath-taking.

He sat down beside her in the library and passed her his bento with a pair of chopsticks.

Miki gave him a questioning look. "Are you giving this whole thing to me?" she asked as she took the chopsticks in her fingers.

"Yea. I'm not a big fan of…whatever that stuff is that Mom packed." Piko waved his hand at the little boxed lunch. "Enjoy it."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely positive."

"Thanks!" she beamed, before beginning to eat.

A few moments of silence passed between the two before Piko decided to start some kind of a conversation.

"So…how's life?"

Miki shrugged and took a moment to swallow her food. "Decent, I guess." She fell quiet for a second, and then said excitedly, "And tomorrow's my birthday! I'll be seventeen!"

"Is that so?" Piko glanced over at her with a playful smile. "Guess I'll be going shopping tonight, huh?"

"Oh!" Miki shook her head frantically. "N-no, you don't have to get me anything…"

"Well, it's only polite." He chuckled at her reaction. She was so modest; he wondered if those who bullied her knew she was like this. "Maybe we can go out for lunch again this weekend. My birthday's on the eighth, so it can be kind of like a double celebration."

"You have a birthday coming up, too?" she asked with wide eyes, as though that was something uncommon.

He laughed. "Yea. I'll be seventeen, too."

"So…I'm older than you?" Miki's face lit up with amusement. She chuckled a little.

Piko rolled his eyes and laughed again. She really was a goofball once you got to know her.

**Day 38**

**5:27 p.m.**

Piko used his free hand to rap on the old door of Miki's house, and it didn't seem like long at all before he saw the redhead bounding down the stairs through the glass. She opened the door, and her dull gaze brightened significantly upon meeting his.

"P-Piko?!" Miki had trouble speaking through her smile. She tried to make herself sound warm and welcoming, but the reality was…she was pretty surprised to see him there on a school night, without notice. "Whatcha doin' here?"

He presented her a box, with white wrapping paper and a bow so red that it matched her hair silky hair, which was tied back in a ponytail. "I had to bring you your birthday present!" As she took it, her mouth agape, Piko warned, "Er…don't shake it or anything. You'll ruin it."

Miki laughed as she stepped aside, box in hand, and beckoned for him to come in. He shut the door behind himself and followed her into the living room, and he took a seat on the floor in front of her. She placed the gift in the small area between them before lifting off the lid to reveal the most beautiful, golden pie she'd ever seen. Miki let out a small gasp as the familiar and tempting smell of cherries flooded from the box.

"W-wha…?" Miki reached down and carefully picked it up, bringing it up to her nose to inhale its delicious aroma.

"Made it myself," Piko bragged, chuckling when he saw the smile on her face get even bigger. "It's some kind of family recipe; I figured you'd like it. You know…cherries, and all." He shrugged as though it was no big deal.

Miki carefully set it back down in the box before pushing it aside and flinging her arms around him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried out, giggling happily as she buried her face in his neck.

"You're welcome." Piko patted her back, debating whether or not to pull her closer. "Happy birthday, Miki," he murmured, pecking her on the cheek so lightly that he wondered if she even felt it. If she had, she didn't show any signs of it. Piko finally hugged her to him, his fingers tangling in her hair.

Had anyone ever gotten her a birthday present before?

**Day 42**

**1:23 p.m.**

"_Hey, can I come over for a few minutes?"_

A smile crept its way up to his face as he ran his finger over the buttons on his keypad.

"_Sure! Anytime you want!"_

Piko tossed his phone to the bed and headed out of his room, bounding down the stairs as quickly as he could so that he would be right there to answer the door when Miki arrived. It was snowing outside, after all, so he wouldn't want to make her wait while it was freezing out there. He peered out the window until he saw her walking slowly down the street, her red hair sticking out like a bloodstain on a white carpet. She had covered up with a poofy blue coat, and wore a pair of black pants that hugged her slender legs. Her arms were held behind her back.

He opened the door as she climbed the stairs on the porch, and she shuffled inside after stomping her feet down on the welcome mat outside to get rid of snow that had packed in the grooves of her boots. Piko let her slip off her coat and toss it to the ground beside her shoes. Then, she looked up to meet his gaze.

"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed happily, and her voice suddenly got stern. "Now close your eyes."

"Miki," Piko chuckled, "You didn't get me anything, did you?"

"Close your eyes," she ordered again; well, more like _whined_.

Piko grinned, but he let his eyelids fluttered closed. He could hear her shuffling around, and her taking her sweet time only spiked his curiosity. He was about to open his eyes to peek, to see what she was doing, but was stopped by a pair of soft lips pressing against his. And her tiny hands had grabbed his shoulders, too, clutching him like she thought he might pull away.

Miki showed no signs of parting her lips and starting the full kiss, so Piko did it for her, taking control just like the last time. He let one of his shaky hands move to her shoulder as well, tentatively placing it there like he was afraid she'd think he was trying to hold her down or control her. Piko pressed his tongue up against hers gently, swirling his around Miki's in a more loving and tender action than one of intense emotion. He didn't want it to end so soon, but Miki pushed back on him so she could break their kiss.

"I-I…wasn't sure what to get you," she murmured, almost looking ashamed. Her face was pink from what the two had done.

He thought that was cute. No, not cute. Absolutely adorable.

"Miki, I'm just happy that you wished me a 'happy birthday'," Piko admitted. He mentally scolded himself for how cheesy he was about to get. "I'm just glad you're here to share it with me. Oh, and…for the record…that was a _great_ gift."

She blushed even darker and ducked her head. "You think so?"

Piko responded by dipping his head so that he could capture her lips in another warm kiss.

_**This is getting long, so I'm stopping it here. D: Sorry that this is literally almost 9k words. I'm sure you guys don't want to read so much in one update. XD**_

_***The librarian is SeeU.**_

_**Please, please review!**_

_**And have a nice day!**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm so terribly sorry I took so long at this update!D: I've been trying to work on my other stories, but my mom has been harassing me about "writing more Piko and Miki'. (I read my writing to her, for the most part, and I seriously have her...semi-obsessed with Piko and Miki. Not just this story, but also some others that I've read to her from this site. XD)**_

_**Also, YES, this is going to turn out like [Why or Why Not?], but there will be lots of happiness and moments that will hopefully satisfy any fans thirsting for PikoxMiki fluff. :3 I hope…**_

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**.::Review Replies::.**

**Gold Phantom: **_): Yea…it's gonna turn out like that; so sorry!:/ I do have plans for another PikoxMiki story, though, and that one will be happy(: At least, it will for Piko and Miki. Thanks so much for reviewing!_

**Flamingfirelight: **_Hehehe(: I'd answer more to that, but I'd be spoiling stuff. So just read on. (:_

**Konjiki No Yami: **_THANK YOU SO MUCH! I will:D_

**Warrichan:**_ Lol, I felt like I was overdoing it with such a long chapter. :P Thanks, though! Thanks for reading!(:_

**Rosie-Sama: **_Hehe, Rin's a complete bitch in this story. I feel kinda bad about it, honestly….:/ Oh no, I thought 'idiot-pie' was cute. XD I'll probably use that some time, lol. That sounds like me! I always use random Japanese names. *high fives* You're so awesome, Rosie-sama!_

**Honeycloud of RiverClan: **_I have no idea. I just had a lot to write for their relationship, I guess. Hehe…_

**Mirror of Words: **_I do, too. It's sad to think so many people are treated like that. And Mayu, too. I've never told anyone secrets dark enough to spread around and get me 'socially rejected', but I have had friends just leave me like that, and it's really depressing. I actually only added that part for you, since you're a Piko/IA shipper. ;P Hehe, thanks! Ah, I've seen too much of that, too. Don't worry; I've been itching to write the part where Piko finally asks her. I've got such a great idea for it! *squeals* Oh, it is gonna end like [Why or Why Not?]. :/ The more I write, though, the more I want to change it. XD_

**Shadowthorn2013: **_Why thank youuu!(:_

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_**Now I hope you enjoy~! Bits of fluff (I hope it's fluffy enough...) are coming!:D**_

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**Day 43**

**7:19 a.m.**

"You nervous about finals?" Piko asked as he and Miki rounded the corner that led to the front of the school. He swung their arms back and forth, his hand holding hers, their fingers intertwined. Her only response to his actions was a giggle, and she squeezed his hand a little bit as some kind of gesture, maybe to show that she was enjoying _herself_ and enjoying his company.

"I think I'll do great," she said confidently, casting him a sidelong glance. "I can't thank you enough!"

Piko chuckled and closed the small distance between the two so that their arms brushed with every step they took. He tilted his head slightly towards hers, and she did the same. "It was all my pleasure, really," he insisted, barely able to speak through the ridiculous smile that had spread across his face. Seemed like that was all he was doing those days.

At least, until he saw the one and only Kagamine Rin approaching, with her posse following close behind. And they didn't look happy. Actually, they never looked happy. Those girls always had scowls that frightened most people, and they rarely had anything good to say. To put it plain and simple, they were nothing but bullies who enjoyed watching people squirm in terror. Piko had known that the whole time, but it wasn't until recently that he realized exactly what they – or _Rin_, rather – actually put them through.

Miki noticed them, and she shrank back, trying to pull Piko back with her, but he clenched her hand even tighter and stayed rooted in his place. She whimpered out a protest, though he didn't respond. He was too busy glaring at the three girls as they came to halt in front of the pair. Granted, he did feel a little bad at making Miki feel so uncomfortable.

"Dating now, huh?" Rin asked, placing her hand on her hip and smirking at the frightened look that had spread across Miki's face. She kept her harsh gaze fixed on the terrified redhead for a few more moments as the silence stretched on, before letting her eyes flicker over towards Piko. "Well?"

Piko stood straight, and proud, his head held high. "Yes," he told her firmly, tightening his grip on Miki's hand and hoping it would comfort her. While he and Miki hadn't actually officially started dating, it was pretty obvious by the kisses they'd shared in the past. And he didn't think that Miki would have a problem with him saying such a thing…would she?

Rin tilted her head to one side. "Bold, aren't we, Utatane?" she asked, her same old stupid smirk dancing across her lips. Oh, Piko wanted nothing more than to smack it right off her face. He narrowed his eyes at her as she said, "I've told you a lot about her. Have you bothered to ask?"

Miki tensed at his side, but Piko tugged on her hand so that she stumbled closer to him, hoping that she would feel safer knowing he was right there.

"I've told you this before, Kagamine, I'm not gonna pry," he growled through gritted teeth. Did she have to bring this up in front of Miki? Of course she did. She only wanted to terrify and torture the poor girl. Piko clenched his free hand into a tight fist until he swore his short nails were drawing blood from his palm. "You don't know her personally, Kagamine. You don't know what kind of person she really is. And I don't really appreciate you talking about her like she's a nobody."

Rin opened her mouth to speak, but Piko had already begun to drag a stunned Miki away from her and her posse. He felt that he was holding the little redhead too tight, but who the hell cared? Why was Rin bringing that kind of stuff up in front of Miki? Surely she'd caused Miki plenty of pain and grief and suffering before now? Why did she have to continue and go out of her damn way to make Miki's life miserable? Did Rin really see her as that big a threat?

"P-Piko…" Miki mumbled quietly.

He released her hand and turned to look at her with blazing eyes, which only left her to shrink away from him uncomfortably. Piko sighed upon seeing that, and he let his shoulders slump in defeat. "What is it…?" he asked her softly, leaning back against the brick wall of the school they'd reached.

Miki ducked her head to avoid his gaze. "W-what…what'd she tell you?"

The blood must've drained from his face. He was, no doubt about it, absolutely petrified that she had asked him that question. And as much as he didn't want to lie to her, he didn't want to bring that subject up right before school started – especially not with exams beginning today! She'd have her mind on the stuff Piko knew instead of the tests she so desperately needed to pass.

Piko smiled at her and tilted her chin up with his curled index finger so she could meet his sparkling eyes. "Just a bunch of lies." He swiped himself a quick kiss from her before beckoning her towards the door. "Now, come on~!"

**Day 48**

**8:57 p.m.**

"You're sure your parents don't have a problem with me coming over this late?" Piko asked as Miki held the door open for him to welcome him into her house.

She shook her head slowly. "They don't care," she told him carefully, shutting the door behind him and waving her hand as a signal for him to go up the stairs.

Piko blinked at her questioningly, but he refused to press anymore. He could hear her small voice shaking uncertainly. It didn't take a genius to figure out she'd just lied to him, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by harassing her for the truth. So he just made his way up the creaky stairs, turning right when he reached the top, and heading into her bedroom, just as he did when they'd been studying and preparing for finals – which they both passed.

He looked around her room for anything suspicious – well, what was he supposed to do? He wanted to find out as much as he could without letting Miki know what he was doing. Everything seemed normal enough. The walls were just a plain white; against one wall, she had a desk, littered with scattered papers that had little doodles scribbled all over them. On the other side of the room, she had a small, twin sized bed with a red striped comforter. She had a bookshelf, a dresser, a couple of family photos sitting on the desk…nothing special. Actually, if anything, it was way too…_dull_.

Piko plopped down on the bed and turned to look at Miki with innocent eyes as she shut her door. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine; I just…" Miki padded slowly over to him, her hands clasped together. She sat down next to him, the bed creaking under their weight. "…wanted someone to talk to."

He gave her a smile of reassurance. "Well, I've told you before that I'm always here."

She grinned, though it was obviously forced. "I know." Miki looked from him to her hands in her lap. Her hair fell like a curtain around her, so Piko couldn't see what kind of expression she was wearing.

"Something's wrong," he told her bluntly, pushing her hair to the side and pinning it behind her ear. Piko put an arm around her to offer some kind of encouragement. He wondered if she was going to tell him something important, if she'd finally open up to him. _No,_ he figured, _it's still too early for that. She wouldn't trust me as much as she would've trusted Mayu. But I have to try..._ "You can talk to me, you know."

"I know," Miki repeated dully. She showed no sign of saying anything more. Her gaze was fixed on her lap and she stared, unblinking, as several hot tears surfaced and rolled down her cheeks. Piko lifted a hand to brush them away affectionately with his thumb, but more and more kept falling, landing on and staining her light grey sweatpants. With a soft sigh, Piko moved his face closer to her cheek, allowing his parted lips to graze over the smooth skin that was wet with her tears. Suddenly, she broke out into a fit of giggles and murmured, "S-s-stop! Th-that t-tickles!"

Piko worked from her chin, upward towards the corner of her eye, moving his lips along to kiss away the tears that had fallen, while she laughed louder and louder. Her cheeks turned a pinkish color from embarrassment at being so close, but she didn't fight him as she fell back. He moved one arm over her, pressing his hand down next to her head to cage her between himself and the bed. Miki chuckled uncontrollably, turning her head to the side so he had access to her other cheek.

Strange as it was, Piko liked the way her salty tears tasted on his tongue. He almost found it addicting to kiss her everywhere her tears had left a glistening trail. Why? Because it felt _amazing_ to know that just a moment ago, she was crying, and now, she was laughing and enjoying herself. Because of _him_. And she didn't even seem nervous or upset that he had her pinned to her own bed. One would think, with the way she was treated by Gakupo, Mikuo, and Kaito, she would've had an issue with it...

Not that he planned on doing anything to her, of course. But she wouldn't know that. She _must_ have trust issues, and he wanted - more than anything else - to be the one who made her trust again.

Piko halted in his butterfly kissing assault on her to stare down into her scarlet eyes, no longer glassy with tears, but shining with joy. A tiny smile flickered across his lips, and he contemplated kissing her for real, but decided against it. He wouldn't want her thinking he was trying to lead her into something more. He finally settled for merely saying her name in a voice much huskier than he meant. "Miki..."

She blinked slowly and murmured her response, her cheeks darkening. "...yes?"

He sighed, letting his head hang so that the tips of his shoulder-length hair tickled her skin. His hands clenched into fists from where they were against the bed, keeping him propped up above her. Piko didn't really want to spoil the moment, but he had to know. _Had to know_ what had been bothering her such a short while ago. Was there a way to ask nonchalantly?

Nope, probably not.

Piko sighed again. He wanted to press for information so bad, but really. How often would he get to see her like this? Lying there beneath him as though she didn't have a care in the world, her long hair spread around her body and auburn eyes glistening... He loved seeing her happy. Why? He didn't know her as long as he knew his other friends, but it didn't necessarily bring him joy when he saw _them_ happy. Nor did it really break his heart to see them in pain.

_What is this?_

"P-Piko?" Miki squeaked, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Y-you wanted to say something?" Shakily, she brought her arms up to his neck and wrapped them around him limply. She didn't want to pull him down closer, but she felt kind of awkward just sitting there with her hands resting on her belly.

"R-Right..." Piko stammered, blushing a little at feeling her fingers thread into his hair. "I just want you to know that you can always talk to me..." he told her lamely.

"Oh, I know!" Miki flashed him a huge smile. "You're really easy to talk to!"

"What I mean is..." He struggled to move himself off of her without doing something embarrassing - like letting his hands slip so that he literally fell on top of her and crushed her. She sat up next him, head tilted in curiosity as he continued. "...I'd like you to tell me what exactly you called me over for."

Her defensive side kicked in. "What, can I not invite my _only_ friend over to hang out?" she snapped. Miki really didn't sound intimidating, but the words certainly didn't settle well with Piko. He felt like he'd just hit a nerve, and that Miki wouldn't forgive him so easily.

_Crap_. "I-I didn't mean it like that," he said desperately. "You were _crying_, Miki, and I want to know why. People don't just_ cry_ for no reason," he added, leaning closer to her face as she turned away to avoid his all-too-knowing gaze. His dual-colored eyes were pleading with her to forgive him for being so...insensitive.

"You had to bring it up again..." Miki muttered, burying her face in her hands. She flinched when she felt his arm slip around her shoulders, but she willingly leaned into him. He could feel her shaking against him, her body quivering as though she were cold. "I just wanted to ask you what you would do if you were in my situation...?"

Piko blinked. "More details, please?"

"You know my situation..."

"Which one?"

"What do you mean?" Miki pulled away and turned to meet his dual-colored eyes questioningly. "I'm getting bullied; what else is there?"

"Uhh..." _Crap. _Piko shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts before racking his mind to search for something he could use to back himself up from that little _slip_. He could tell that she knew something was up, but she made the smart choice and stayed quiet until he could say, "I mean...what about the bullying? Is it what Rin _says_ to you...or what Gakupo_ did_ to you?"

Miki lowered her eyes to stare at her lap again; the tear-stains that once made a puddle on her grey pants were drying up now. A tiny smile ghosted across her lips when she thought of why she wasn't merely huddling in the corner of her room, wailing and begging for it all to go away. It was Piko; he kept her happier now, didn't he? A little cheered up by that thought, she mumbled, "All of it. What can they possibly gain by being mean to me? Why can't something like that reflect back on them, instead of on me?"

He hated to admit that there was no way he could answer that question. He seemed to recall his mother saying something about that to him once, but being the confident individual he was, he completely ignored her, thinking he would never need to know such things. Now what was he supposed to tell her? Lie to her, hug her and say that everything would be alright, when in reality, he knew that each day would continue to be hell until Rin quit being a brat who thought she was better than everyone else?

Piko's shrug was barely even noticeable to Miki as he tilted her head up to look into her eyes. He felt his heart wrench as he uttered three simple words that he wished he could replace with a true explanation. "I don't know..."

**Day 51**

**11:53 a.m.**

"-and I haven't heard crap from anyone today!" Miki finished explaining her story with an excited squeal, letting out a laugh that sounded like a melody. She leaned into Piko as she giggled, missing his shoulder completely and sliding on down until her back rested in the curve between his legs and chest.

Piko stared down at her with a thin smile on his face, though he was blushing like a little schoolgirl gazing at her longtime crush. Miki's eyes were closed, her face reddening, lips parted in that angelic laugh...Her hair was a thick mass of red that pooled around her head on the ground. One of her tiny hands clutched at her stomach from the cramp that was forming, and the other was brought up to her mouth, her thin fingers gently touching her lips.

To be honest, he didn't really see what was so funny about it, but he did understand why she was in such a good mood. No one had bothered her today. Rin wasn't making her snooty comments - because she was _absent_, but still - and with the ring leader gone, no one else found a need to go out of their way to torture poor Miki. And to top it off, he was there with her. They'd just finished off his lunch and were talking like normal until they had to go to class.

She'd stopped laughing moments before and started to gaze up at him with relaxed and happy eyes, and Piko saw it as the perfect moment to tap her lightly on the forehead with his index finger.

"I'm really happy for you, Red," he whispered lovingly to her, so quiet it was almost a miracle that she heard.

Miki giggled again at hearing the nickname he'd given her. He figured he had two options - Cherry, or Red. But he settled for Red because he felt it sounded cooler when he said it.

"Things are looking up a bit for me, huh?" she prompted sweetly, nudging his belly with her elbow.

"Sure are." Piko leaned back against the bookshelf he was sitting in front of and tilted his head back to look up at the ceiling. "Won't be long before you don't need me looking after you anymore." He felt her jolt at his words.

"B-But you'll still be here for me, right?" she whimpered.

He looked back down at her and smiled reassuringly. "Of course. I won't ever leave your side, Miki."

She giggled once more, blushing. "Promise?"

Piko swept his hand through her hair. "Promise."

Miki took in a deep breath and let it out in a rather loud, blissful sigh. "And I promise I won't ever leave yours!"

**Day 54**

**2:43 p.m.**

"Last day of the semester, huh?" Piko rested his cheek against her head and dragging his slender fingers through her long, silky hair.

Miki made a small noise of agreement, contentment, and tried to scoot closer to him where they sat at the roots of one of the Sakura trees in the front of the school. Most of the kids had left already – seeing that snow was starting to fall – but a few still lingered around. What remained of the watery pink petals fluttered to the ground around the duo along with fat snowflakes falling from the darkening clouds. Piko shivered at the breeze that sliced the air; he'd taken off his white jacket and placed it over Miki's tiny shoulders a while ago, and the chill was starting to get to him.

"Maybe we should go," Miki murmured, completely ignoring his initial question and instead taking concern with how he was feeling. "You'll catch a cold being out here like this."

"Nah. I want to spend as much time with you as possible before my parents drag me out of town to visit our family for Christmas," the white-haired boy explained, inching closer to her in an attempt to warm himself up with the heat that seemed to be radiating from Miki's body. He turned his head slightly so that his lips were against her thick cherry-red hair in a chaste kiss before he pulled her down to rest her head on his shoulder. "You got any special plans?"

"Not really," she murmured softly. "Just waiting for school to start back up, I guess."

"That doesn't sound very fun," he pointed out. Piko reached for her hand and closed his fingers around hers. "Well, you know that you can call or text me any time, right?"

Miki chuckled softly. "Of course."

A couple of moments of silence swept over them as they stared off into the distance. The snowfall muffled the normal sounds of the schoolyard, so all they could hear were their own soft breaths. Finally, when Piko shivered again, Miki started to rise.

"We should get going, really, Piko," she told him quietly. "You're gonna freeze to death."

"Will not," he huffed, but he got to his feet anyway. Piko turned to Miki, extending his hand for her to take. She did so, lacing her fingers with his before they started heading towards home, walking so close that their arms brushed.

"Thanks for everything, Piko," Miki said as they walked. When he glanced over at her, he noticed that her head was tilted downward so she could stare at the ground, but he could still faintly see her smile through that thick curtain of her red hair.

"Quit thanking me." He halted, holding her hand so tight that Miki ended up coming to a clumsy stop as well. Piko pulled her towards him until her chest was against his, and he found himself captivated in her gorgeous auburn eyes. Slowly, slightly hesitantly, he leaned forward so that their lips could softly meet in a passionate kiss.

Just as the other few times they'd expressed their feelings in such a way, Piko refused to wrap his arms around her; in fact, he let his grip on her hand loosen so that she could slip away with ease. And Miki made no move to hug him to her, but she didn't protest or fight in any way when Piko tilted his head to the right far enough so that his skilled tongue could get better access to her mouth.

It was shorter than the rest, and once the couple pulled apart, they didn't bother to look into each other's eyes before walking on as though it never happened.

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**_Can you tell that I started getting lazy there at the end? I just wasn't sure what else to write! I feel like I'm overusing some of my words and phrases and stuff. So any critique or tips to change that (other than using a thesaurus or reading more - because I already do that, for the most part) are very much appreciated!_**

**_Mmm...turned out a bit longer than I expected...yay~! Tell me, did you like it? Review, review, review! I'll hand you this pink, sparkly cupcake! *holds out fluffy cupcake* Normally, it'd be blue, but pink and sparkles go better together in my opinion. :3_**

**_(:Mizune_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey, hey, world!**_

_**To all who reviewed last chapter, TAKE THIS DELICIOUS CUPCAKE! Omnomnom…tastes like unicorns and rainbows. **_

_**Anywhoozles, this chapter is a bit longer than the last, and dedicated to **_**Mirror of Words **_**for the awesome idea she gave me in her review/PMs. So...BE WARNED! There is an extremely over-used twist in the future, but the way it's handled is SOOOO different from the way it turns out in the other stories I've read. ;)**_

_**And also, 10 points to you if you found the sick, cruel irony in the last chapter. I didn't point it out, nor did I say anything about it. But it's there.**_

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**.::Review Replies::.**

**Gold Phantom: **_They are looking up for Miki…:3 Oh…dear… Thanks for reviewing._

**Rosie-Chan: **_Thank youuu~! Ahh, I found it and I'm reading it….which you already know. XD And why would you wait until the last minute like that? DDDX Thanks for reviewing. _

**Konjiki No Yami: **_Hehehe...:3 Thanks for the review_

**Mirror of Words: **_Ahh, I hate that! (Whooping in school, I mean. XDD Happened to me before. :3) It was a complete accident to get her to ship PikoxMiki, but I agree. I want everyone to be a supporter of it. Muahah! Spreading nasty rumors to Miki, huh? That's…actually not a bad idea. *scribbles notes* May end up putting something like that in there. *shrugs* Rumors can ruin a person's life, as seen in this story. Even Piko's getting affected. Lol, thanks! Google really is a writer's best friend. XD I hate repeating at all, though, so it drives me crazy knowing I do that. I'm afraid it'll turn out bad. XD Ahh, I'm the same way! I can't not write. (I'm aware of the grammar issues in that sentenceXD) Thanks~!_

**TeamKagamine:** _Thanks! I'm so glad you like it! (Yeh, Piko and Miki is totally totally great. :3) I felt kind of bad for making Rin so evil, but it kinda works, I suppose...Thanks for the review~_

**KawaiiJelloUsagi:** _Awwuh): I was bullied, too, but not really too bad. And it was only a year or so ago, so I could handle it pretty well. I'm so sorry): Things like that are just absolutely awful. Lol, why is it bad for pink to be your favorite color? My ex-boyfriend's favorite color was pink, and he'd always wear my hot pink jacket around, lol. (Oh, the memories. XD) Thanks for the review! (:_

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**Day 59**

**9:37 p.m.**

Piko groaned. Two days with his cousins, and he was already fed up with them. Dell and Haku were by far the _worst _people he'd ever had to hang out with! Why? Well, Dell smuggled home cigarettes without their parents knowing, and Haku smuggled sake. They spent their nights holed up in their bedrooms, drinking and smoking their lives away, while Piko – the _good _child – was trapped in the guest room with nothing to do but stare at the wall. His and Dell's parents were downstairs in the living room being loud and obnoxious, dancing to ridiculous music that only teenagers should bother to listen to.

He rolled over where he laid in his bed and heaved an exasperated sigh. To think it was Christmas Eve, and here he was, having the worst day of his life!

Until…he heard the semi-annoying ringtone on his cellphone, blasting loud from where he left it on the nightstand.

Piko half-heartedly sat up and reached for it, stealing a brief glance at the screen to see who was calling before he flipped it open and answered, a little too enthusiastically.

"Miki! Hi!"

"Er…hey, Piko…" she whispered back.

His brow knit together in confusion. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. But…I'm in bed. Supposed to be asleep, you know." Miki forced a near-silent laugh.

Piko leaned back until he was lying down again, and he brought a hand up to comb his fingers through his silky white hair. "Then…maybe you should get some rest. You don't sound too good," he observed softly. He really hated himself for not being back home, where he could comfort her better.

Miki sighed heavily into the phone. "You're right. I feel like crap. Everything hurts. I…just want to talk to you."

"Oh." Piko raised a brow. _Everything hurts? _He shook his head in an attempt to force back the dirty thoughts that immediately started to flood through his mind. "Well, is there something specific you wanted to talk about?"

"Ngh…I just wanted to hear your voice…."

Piko grinned. "Oh? And why is that?"

"Because you always say such nice things…" Just by the tone of Miki's voice, Piko could guess that she was probably blushing heavily right about then.

He smirked at the thought and decided to torture her a bit. Let her squirm with the embarrassment. "Like…?"

Miki fell quiet for a moment. "Y-You…just encourage me…you know? L-Like…erm…"

"Ahh, I'm just kidding you, Mii-chan," Piko said after a small laugh. Then, he grew serious again. "But really, Miki, if you aren't feeling well, you should try to get some sleep. It's good for you, you know."

"I don't think sleeping will help me as much as you will," she admitted quietly.

Piko tried his hardest to fight the heat that rose up to his cheeks. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. But if he kept quiet, Miki would panic and think she'd upset him somehow with her words. But it wasn't like he could just draw her into a hug right then and there and run his slender fingers through her long, cherry locks until he coaxed her into a sleep. "Miki, sweetheart…"

She giggled.

"Get some rest. You sound exhausted."

Miki groaned. "I am. I've never been so tired in my life."

"Good. That's a start. What're you doing?"

"Sitting in bed."

"Sitting, or lying down?"

"Sitting."

"Then lie down." Piko paused as he heard some shuffling on the other end of the line, as though she were doing exactly as he told her. "What're you doing _now_?"

Miki sounded confused, her words coming out as more of a question than a statement. "Uh…_lying_ in bed?"

"Are you covered up or not?"

"No…"

More shuffling. Piko switched his cellphone to his other hand. "And how 'bout now?"

"Yes…"

"And all of the lights in your room are out, right?"

"Piko, where are you going with this?"

He didn't acknowledge her question, instead responding with another. "Are the lights all off?"

"Er…yea."

"Good!" Piko exclaimed, and he could hear her gasp in surprise at his sudden outburst. "Now put the phone down, close your eyes…and _go to sleep_…" The last words rolled off his tongue in a husky voice that he'd never used before, not even for his previous _official _girlfriends. It came sort of as a surprise to him that he could sound like that. It almost made him feel…dirty.

"But I wanna keep talking to you!"

Piko smiled. He wanted to keep talking to her, but she really sounded exhausted. Hell, the moans a zombie made probably sounded more alive than she did at the moment. "Goodnight, Miki."

"I'm not going to-"

"Goodnight, Miki."

"But I-"

"Goodnight, Miki."

Miki puffed out a breath of air. "Fine. Goodnight, Piko-chan."

"Hey!" But before he could protest to that nickname, the call ended, and he was in his room again, no longer engrossed in a conversation with his favorite girl ever. He was bored. And alone.

**Day 60**

**7:32 a.m.**

"Merry Christmas, Miki~!"

"Ngh…you had to call me this early, why?" she groaned, and there was a shuffling sound as though she were rolling over where she was lying in bed.

"Hey, if I remember correctly, you didn't want to go to sleep last night."

"Well, that was back when I was wide awake," she whined back.

Piko huffed. "Well sorry that I upset you. I suppose I can just hang up now and we can talk when I get back home."

"N-Nuh…I-I didn't say you had to go…" Her voice was pleading, though it was also heavily slurred with sleep.

"Well you don't have to beg, you know," Piko told her, grinning broadly. He could picture her standing in front of him, blushing, barely able to hold her eyes open, her cherry-red hair sticking out in a complete mess from a night of tossing and turning. Which reminded him... "Miki, are you feeling better?"

"Sleep was much needed," she replied, and he could hear her yawning.

"I told you so." He couldn't resist. Most of the time, when he had the chance to say such a thing to people he'd dance around like a moron. But anyone could hear the affection in his voice as he said it to her, and had he been next to her, he would've butted his shoulder against hers playfully, because maybe she'd do the same thing right back at him.

"Shut up; I wasn't in the mood to sleep last night," Miki mumbled.

"I don't see why." Piko rolled over so that he was lying on his belly, and a small grin formed on his lips. That always happened when he talked to her; it was something he just didn't understand. "Sleep is good for the soul."

"You sound like some wise old man," the redhead scoffed.

"Well..." He trailed off as though he were actually thinking about her words. "I _am_ pretty smart for my age."

"Yea, right," Miki snorted, and he laughed. But just as he opened his mouth to throw back a witty response, he heard his mother calling his name.

"Piko! It's time to open up presents!"

The white-haired boy sighed. He really didn't want to get off the phone with Miki, but he knew that his mother would never let him spend Christmas morning on the phone. "I...guess I have to go, Miki."

"Oh..." She sounded a bit disappointed, but she quickly disguised her voice to seem cheerful. "Alright! I guess I'll talk to you later. Merry Christmas, Piko."

And then she was gone.

**Day 64**

**3:48 p.m.**

Piko didn't know why he was so surprised when Miki opened the door to her house that day. Maybe he had been expecting her father to answer it for the first time ever, but the possibility of that might be rare. After all, Piko hadn't so much as seen the man. It was literally to the point where he was beginning to think he didn't even exist, that Rin was making up stories because Miki might live all on her own.

The cherry-haired girl smiled brightly the moment she met his dual colored gaze, and for a moment, she bounced with excitement like she was going to leap into his arms to hug him. She caught herself, however, inching forward slightly as she clasped her hands behind her back.

The white-haired boy gave her a gentle grin and stepped forward to take her in his arms, his embrace loose enough for her to break free from at any moment. He found his face getting buried in her silky hair, and with one hand, he combed through those locks and allowed his fingers to lightly brush over her back. It felt like it had been forever since he got to hug her, when in reality it had only been a few days. Miki seemed to feel the same, too.

He hadn't talked to her since Christmas morning; the next time he gave her a phone call, she hadn't answered. He'd thought she was mad at him for having to leave so abruptly before, but he could tell that wasn't the case.

"So you're feeling better now?" Piko asked as he pulled away from her to look into her eyes.

A look of pain flashed across her gaze, but a perfectly faked smile formed on her lips. "I'm wonderful now, thanks," she murmured quietly, and for a moment, Piko wondered if she was expecting him to harass her about it like he normally did when he could tell she was lying.

Of course, he didn't. Instead, he stepped back and folded his arms across his chest to keep himself warm - after all, it was still the middle of December, and snow had been falling a lot more that year than it had the year before. "Did you have a nice Christmas?"

"It was as good as it's ever been," she replied, some kind of hidden meaning behind her words that Piko couldn't tell. "It was even better, actually, because I've never had a friend like you call and wish me a good day."

"It's only polite," he told her confidently, his tsundere side kicking in. Not that he had a problem with admitting that he did it because he liked her; but, obviously, admitting to such a thing was much easier said than done. His cheeks had darkened significantly - even though they had already been quite flushed pink from the chill outdoors. He couldn't remember ever being so flustered around a girl. Before, he had been so confident in himself when it came to such things.

Clearly, Miki meant more to him than anyone else, if he was so afraid of making a fool out of himself around her.

"Well, it really made my day," Miki told him in a whisper, dropping her gaze to stare at the ground while a smile worked its way onto her lips.

"Good." When she looked back up, Piko winked. "I was hoping to spend more time talking, though. And why didn't you answer my other calls?"

The color drained from her face, but it wasn't too noticeable on her already peachy-pale skin. "I-I..." Her eyes darted to and fro, like she wasn't sure how to answer him, until she finally just said, "I got busy." And in a desperate attempt to change the subject, she pushed the front door open further. "Would you like to come in?"

Piko's expression softened. "Of course."

**Day 66**

**11:47 p.m.**

"You're positive your parents don't have a problem with me being here this late?" Miki mumbled nervously as Piko welcomed her into his house.

"As long as your dad doesn't care, my family thinks it's okay," he told her excitedly, taking her by the hand and pulling her in the door a little too forcefully. Miki gasped in surprise, stumbling forward a little, but she regained her balance quickly and followed the white-haired boy as he dragged her into the living room where his parents were standing in front of the television, each of them with a drink in hand.

"Piko!" his mother sang, throwing an arm around her husband's shoulders and leaning her head against him. "Is this the Miki you've told us so much about?"

Shooting a glance in the cherry-haired girl's direction, Piko noticed that Miki had stiffened and started blushing darker than ever. She'd brought her hands together to twiddle her thumbs awkwardly, staring down at the ground like it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen in her life. In a reassuring action, Piko slipped his arm around the petite girl's shoulders and pulled her slightly closer to himself so he could whisper in her ear.

"Don't be nervous," he murmured, his hot breath tickling her skin. "They won't be mean to you."

Miki's only response to his words was to lean into him for some kind of physical comfort.

"C'mon, Miki!" Piko's mother slurred, laughing as the blue-haired man* beside her ran his fingers through her silky white locks. "You can join us for New Years! We've never had guests over for special occasions like this!"

"I-I..." The redhead shot a look at Piko, her eyes betraying her fear, but she turned back to his parents with a wide smile. "Thank you," she said politely, giving a slight bow.

Piko's father tightened his grip on his wife with one arm and waved the other at the two teenagers. "It's very nice to meet you, Miki, but I think it would be best for you guys to head on up to Piko's room for now."

The white-haired woman next to him placed a hand on his chest and leaned against him even more than she had been, nearly causing him to tip over from her weight. "D-Don't be doing...anything d-dirty, now!" she giggled, tilting her head back to take another drink.

"Ew, Mom. No," was all Piko could say through his red face as he beckoned for Miki to follow him up the stairs.

Miki walked after him quietly, shakily. She wasn't sure how to react about being in his room for the first time, or about meeting his parents. After all, he hadn't met her father yet. She grasped at the hem of her shirt and tugged at it in an attempt to focus on something else, and she was so caught up in it that she stumbling up a couple of the steps.

Piko had turned around to catch her in case she fell, both hands extended so that she could fall forward safely into his arms if need be, but she'd managed to catch herself before something _that _embarrassing happened. He snickered at her, his dual-colored eyes lighting up with amusement. "Don't hurt yourself, Miki," he teased, sending her a wink that made her cheeks darken.

"I-I'm sorry..."

The two made themselves comfortable in Piko's room - or rather, Miki tried her hardest to _force_ herself to be calm and relaxed. Piko noticed this, however; the signs of her discomfort were quite noticeable, from her nonstop blushing, to the way she constantly crossed, uncrossed, and re-crossed her legs. He padded over to her to plop down on the small couch next to her, his concerned gaze boring into hers.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I've never been here before..." Miki told him quietly.

Her words only made Piko laugh.

Miki couldn't stop the tears from stinging her eyes, and she looked away from him quickly so he wouldn't see her embarrassment.

"You're so cute, you know?" Piko placed a hand atop hers where it rested in her lap, and when she turned back to him in astonishment, he giggled. "Miki, you've never been so awkward around me, so why start now?"

Her heart thumped even harder in her chest, pumping cold blood through her warm body, a chilly burst coursing through her veins. She had expected things to go down worse than that, and the fact that they didn't really shocked her. "I-I...don't know..."

Piko's smile encouraged her to do the same, the few hot tears that had already surfaced rolling down her cheeks, but the rest were long gone. He kissed her lips lightly. "It's News Years Eve, Mii-chan. And we have one minute till the New Year," he added, stealing a glance at the clock hanging on his wall.

Miki bit down on her lip as she closed her eyes, trying her hardest to make her tensed muscles relax. She knew she didn't need to be nervous around Piko; he was like her best friend now! But for some reason, everything that brought her closer to him made her more and more terrified that she might accidentally do something to screw it up.

As she let out a heavy sigh, she felt his warm lips brush over hers softly, the first celebration of the New Year.

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**_Wow what a cheesy and suckish-ish chapter. _**

_**It could've been better, and it could've been longer. Buuuut, it's been ages since I've updated and I wanted to write something. Soooo. I'll definitely try to make the next chapter like a 9k word one again. This story was actually only supposed to be 5 chapters, but I decided to make more on their relationship, so depending on how much I write per chapter, it'll probably make it up to 10 or 12 chapters.**_

_**I actually went to the trouble of printing off a custom calendar to write things out for this story. Oh the things I do for Piko and Miki love.**_

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_***Piko's parents...His mom is his genderbend, Pika (why does he even need a genderbend? He has two voicebanks for crying out loud) and I wasn't sure who to make his dad so I slightly described Mizune's genderbend. (But if anyone knows of a character to make Piko's dad, please let me know so I can change it and not get hate)**_

_**Review?**_

_**(:Mizune**_


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